Posts

What have I missed since December 9th?

Ballymore announced, with minimal fanfare, that Marks & Spencer will be its anchor commercial tenant in West Hampstead Square.

In a Buzzfeed moment, we looked at The 12 Best Christmas Presents You Can Buy in West Hampstead.

Is the latest planning application for Gondar Gardens the final card to be played in this long-running game?

Ok, so it’s Hampstead Heath – but great photo by Sally McKay

The West Hampstead Business Association had its launch event – but what is it, and why should local businesses join?

If you haven’t got your Christmas tree yet, here’s where you can pick one up: Mill Lane Garden Centre (where proceeds go to a good cause), Homebase, outside Waitrose, Achillea Flowers, Kilburn High Road, and Swiss Cottage farmers’ market.

There are still a few chances to get your Christmas carol fix.

Thursday evening is my annual #whampxmasdrinks – the office party for locals. Starts 7.30pm at The Black Lion on West End Lane. Just turn up – we’ll be on the left as you walk in.

Camden responded to criticism over the Liddell Road redevelopment scheme, but has the council done enough to prove that this scheme is going to create jobs overall? The local councillors have requested to call in the decision.

This Tuesday, sample free kebabs at Adam’s Grill.

Fortune Green has started to attract wildlife, of a somewhat static kind.

Property News discussed licensed rental agents.

The King of Kilburn met the Queen of the United Kingdom as Bradley Wiggins received his knighthood at the palace.

Scroll down to #15 for a Christmas blast from the past from Kingsgate School.

Lupa suddenly got renamed “Pizza Amante”. They still say Lupa when you ring up though.

If you bought biscotti at the Christmas Market a couple of weeks ago, you helped Emma Niemis raise £85 towards her target for volunteeting in Ecuador next summer. Contact her if you want to know more.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

A new café appears to be opening on Fortune Green Road (which the owners seem to mistakenly think is in Hampstead).

The NW6 Free School campaign produced stats showing how many secondary schools local students attend.

The West Hampstead fire brigade joined in the London-wide strike on Friday evening.

The Clifton pub in St John’s Wood, and the Old White Bear in Hampstead have both been sold and are expected to be converted into private houses.

Tweet of the Week

Remember the Guinness ad with the guy waiting for the tide so he could surf? I’m waiting for the C11 bus. It’s kinda the same. But more shit
— Matthew Darcy (@matthewdarcy7) December 9, 2013

What have I missed since December 2nd

Camden gave the go-ahead to primary school buildings in Liddell Road, despite a dispute about the number of jobs that could be gained or lost through redevelopment. In a Twitter conversation later than night, councillors agreed they would look into this, though of course the decision still stands.

Several local buildings (and two parks) feature in the Camden Design awards shortlist – including Emmanuel School, somewhat controversially.

An open letter to Tesco’s Fortune Green branch manager (and accompanying photos) elicited an encouraging response from the supermarket chain.

Photo via Mark Stonebanks

An eighth arrest has been made in the Sabrina Moss murder investigation.

Italian restaurant Spiga has closed. Apparently it’s being replaced by a south-east Asian/Thai restaurant.

Nebraska is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week and NW6 Film Club returned this Sunday.

Local councillor Flick Rea collected her MBE from the palace.

The ice rink at JW3 opened.

Tom’s Diner gave The Black Lion the once over.

The next planning application for Gondar Gardens has been submitted by Linden Wates (this is the third – one accepted and one rejected so far)

Ballymore has agreed to a proper community liaison working party and to look in more detail at how the north side of the West Hampstead Square site might be “greened up”.

Tweet of the Week

Post box on Honeybourne Rd boarded up do to “health & safety issue”, the mind boggles! West Hampstead #whamp
— Sandra Pavlou (@SandraPavlou) December 5, 2013

What have I missed since November 25th?

Boris Johnson came to West Hampstead to talk to local businesses. Read the full story.

Robert Webb led a tirade against Tesco for the shocking stock levels in its Fortune Green branch.

West End Green’s Christmas tree is bigger than usual, but the high street ones remain somewhat, er, vertically challenged (or “tasteful” as Cllr Keith Moffitt described them).

It’s beginning to look a lot like autumn.
Photo via @CleaSR

Police are warning people to be vigilant after a spate of aggressive robberies targeting women as they get out of their cars at night.

The West Hampstead Christmas market was a success, and local businesses that took part on West End Lane threw themselves into the occasion admirably.

Next weekend it’s the Emmanuel School Christmas Fair (with some unusual raffle prizes), and another Christmas Fair on West End Green.

The Alexandra & Ainsworth estate made it into the Guardian’s Top 10 council estates as voted by readers, having surprisingly missed out on the “official list” published the week before.

Emmanuel School’s new building on Mill Lane is up for a Camden Design Award.

JW3 is going to have an ice rink from December 8th-January 12th

Share your views on local planning and development issues, with a new interactive map-based website.

The controversial proposal for Avenue Road in Swiss Cottage has a website.

Blackburn Road was resurfaced and cleared of roadworks, making access to the student block much better.

Kilburn has a new financial health centre run by the Kilburn Fair Credit Campaign.

La Secret Boutique, once of the basement of LoveFood, then of Fortune Green, is now moving into the former Shaketastic outlet on West End Lane on December 4th.

Saving Mr Banks is this week’s Film of the Week. Full local listings and details of next Sunday’s Film Club event here.

After having the collection box swiped a couple of weeks ago, locals have generously given £130 to West End Lane Books’ Epilepsy Action fundraising efforts.

Christmas trees are available outside Waitrose, from Homebase and from the Mill Lane Garden Centre, where all proceeds go to charity.

Tweet of the Week

Police on horse back through the middle of west Hampstead, Nice to see but a pain if you’re trying to get somewhere and some what medieval!
— Ollie Rayner (@Ollie2rayner) November 29, 2013

What have i missed since November 18th?

A fire on Friday night damaged a West End Lane property, but no-one was hurt.

The relaunching West Hampstead Business Association announced that Boris Johnson will be coming to meet local business owners this Thursday afternoon.

A standpipe blew in Fairhazel Gardens, causing a spectacular fountain.

Photo via Don Williams

We looked back at Doris Lessing’s incorporation of West Hampstead into her writing, and the moment she was told of her Nobel Prize, outside her house.

The Jubilee Line is one of five tube lines that will run 24hrs on Friday and Saturday nights from 2015. TfL also confirmed that all ticket offices will close across the network, although stations will be staffed at the ticket barriers.

More Thameslink trains will now stop at West Hampstead, and Sunday services wil extend further south. Ironically, a northbound train on Friday completely forgot to stop at West Hampstead.

A thief made off with the collection box in West End Lane Books. The staff had been raising money for Epilepsy Action.

Police are appealing for witnesses after an attack on Tuesday evening at about 6.30pm around the stations. Call 101 if you can help.

A new antenatal class is starting at JW3 [sponsored]

Local historians Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms gave an excellent talk at West End Lane Books about the history of Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek club, and also published the second part of their piece on local musicians.

WhampWalks took the 328 bus to Chelsea and walked to Richmond to get the Overground back home. It’s a lovely 12 mile walk with lots to see.

How many times have you spotted West Hampstead and Kilburn in films and TV programmes?

One of Paramount’s West Hampstead bags has made it to Antarctica.

Next Saturday is the West Hampstead Christmas Market, with lots of local businesses also participating in-store. It’s also the Beckford School Winter Fair.

Local estate agent Parkheath is offering kids (and teachers) high-viz jackets for the dark winter walk to school!

Blue is the Warmest Colour is NxNW6’s Film of the Week. It’s also the next NW6 Film Club film on December 8th at JW3.

The craft/vintage market on Sundays outside Thameslink has changed its hours to 11-3.

The first residential Christmas tree is up! Those of you waiting a couple more weeks can get yours from the Mill Lane Garden Centre from next Saturday.

The Winch is looking for parents, carers and social enterprises who want to start projects focused on helping children aged 0-5.

This Thursday evening, Virginia Berridge, chair of WHAT, will be talking about her new book… not a history of local planning, but something from her professional life – a history of the changing perceptions of drugs.

Tweet of the Week

Citizens of #Whamp: you astonish us with yr fabulousness. Man: ‘I don’t want to buy book I want to give money to replace stolen charity box’
— West End Lane Books (@WELBooks) November 22, 2013

What have I missed since November 11th?

Long-time local resident and Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing died on Sunday. She was 94. Here she is being told she’s won the Nobel Prize in 2007 (I love that an artichoke figures prominently). West Hampstead wasn’t just her home, it also featured in her writing.

Jim “Carson” Carter has joined Emma “Oscar-winner” Thompson in the fight to save the trees by the Ballymore site.

A police chase had a fatal conclusion that caused chaos in Tuesday’s evening rush hour.

One of many glorious sunset photos from Wednesday.
This one by Simon Inglis

The 12th Whampgather was another rip-roaring success on Thursday. Thanks to everyone who came. We raised more than £500 for The Winch’s Youth Forum. Thanks also to all the businesses that donated prizes.

At the West Hampstead & Fortune Green Area Forum, TfL and Metroline explained why the 139 runs empty along Mill Lane, while Camden officers put forward a convincing case for their new Clean Camden campaign.

The Abbey Area regeneration programme stutters on.

The newest pizzeria in West Hampstead went under the whampreview microscope.

There was a Remembrance Day service in Hampstead Cemetery.

The Guardian reported on Camden council’s innovative use of data in solving problems.

The Friends of Fortune Green have launched a blog – the first entry talks about the Ladies Who Lunge.

A friends group is forming for the new Minster Road nature reserve – there’s a meeting this week if you’re interested in taking part.

The Butler is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Check out the full local cinema listings.

West Hampstead’s tiny Christmas trees have been attached to the lampposts.

Watch a fantastic video of films and TV shows shot in NW6.

Conservative Chris Philp, who just missed out on becoming our MP in 2010, has been nominated for the safe Tory seat of Croydon South.

Tweet of the Week

I remember when #whampgather was a dozen people off Twitter sitting awkwardly in the corner of a pub. Now it’s all wristbands & cloakrooms.
— Blake Connolly (@blakeconnolly) November 14, 2013

What have I missed since November 4th?

Camden launched a big crackdown on fly-tipping and littering but it’s still not clear why the regular rubbish and recycling service is so bad.

This Wednesday, grill Camden about a range of local issues – including the rubbish problem.

Revised proposals for 159 Iverson Road have cut the number of flats by 10 after Camden deemed the original plan too dense.

Itsy-bitsy spider via @dali_llama

Sunday marked a year since the car accident on West End Lane that killed Desreen Brooks and left Amy Werner in a critical condition.

On the Ballymore/Network Rail land, we now have a clear indication of which trees are safe for the time being. The Sunday Telegraph has picked up on Emma Thompson’s letter to Ballymore. The company has, I believe, not yet responded.

Camden has published the list of its trees destined to be removed. Most are dead or dying and should be replaced.

The Camden New Journal had all the animal news this week – the untimely passing of Jean the Highgate wallaby, and this amazing story about the cat who dialled 999.

Nautilus made the Sunday Times’ “Britain’s top 130 restaurants under £50” list; though how you’d spend £42pp there is a mystery.

Once they reach 65, women in Camden have the highest life expectancy in the country – 88.8 years (the borough ranks 14th in the country for female life expectancy at birth).

Another stat for you: West Hampstead & Fortune Green had 1,330 more households in 2011 than in 2001, but 570 fewer cars.

Looking for some commercial space in West Hampstead – the Sherriff Centre’s spare space (after the post office moves in) is up for lease for £16,000 a year. Meanwhile, if you’ve always fancied running a cafe, that’s also up for grabs.

West End Lane barbers Geezers reopened as Esquire Grooming, apparently run by a couple of former Men’s Lounge hairdressers. On Fortune Green Road, Crystalis Hair & Beauty opened.

Local MP Glenda Jackson (former transport minister) voted in favour of HS2, despite the local Labour party opposing it.

Doros Ahmed, owner of Kilburn curryhouse Ruchi, was one of the winners of the prestigious Bangladesh Caterers’ Association Caterer of the Year awards.

Apparently, the Old Bell on Kilburn High Road is closing. Another nail in the coffin of the old-school Kilburn pub.

Further up the road, next to Belvedere Traditional, a milkshake bar is opening.

The Property of the Month is a 4-bed garden flat in Greencroft Gardens at £1.65m.

Property News: Could oversupply of rental properties cool sale prices?

This Sunday, a weekly vintage/craft market started. It’s 10am-2pm on the Thameslink forecourt on Iverson Road.

Gravity is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week.

Want to know what West End Lane looked like in 1969 – check out the opening few seconds of this Randall & Hopkirk Deceased episode.

Scottish crime writer extraordinaire Ian Rankin graced West End Lane Books to sign copies of his latest Rebus story, “Saints of the Shadow Bible”.

Small & Beautiful is under new ownership, but what’s the food like?

The Iceland in Swiss Cottage featured in a BBC2 documentary about the company.

Friends of Fortune Green has joined Twitter. Twit-twoo.

Tweet of the Week

Awesome to see people being fined/warned outside West Hampstead tube for littering.
— Josh Reich (@Reich_Josh) November 7, 2013

What have I missed since October 28?

Local resident Emma Thompson has joined the debate on saving (some of) the trees at West Hampstead Square. Will Ballymore reply to the double Oscar winner?

There was some damage and disruption in West Hampstead last Monday morning as the St Jude storm hit London.

Camden responds to the rubbish crisis in West Hampstead, and promises a new initiative to clamp down on fly-tippers.

A storm-felled tree on the Lymington Road estate.
Photo via Blake Connolly

Filming began apace on Kingsgate Road – aka Marchmont St – for BBC film Pride. Dominic “McNulty” West and Andrew “Moriaty” Scott both spotted on location.

What has WHAT ever done for us?

British Pathé has an excellent short silent film of the Queen Victoria’s Rifles marching up Kilburn High Road in 1931.

The next West Hampstead & Fortune Green area action group (aka “meeting for locals to get up to speed with what’s happening) will be on November 13th.

The West Hampstead Christmas market website is up. Look out for more local businesses getting involved on the day to make this a real West Hampstead shopping day.

The Alexandra Palace fireworks returned this year after a break, the big local free display is in Roundwood Park in Brent on Tuesday.

Short-Term 12 is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local listings, including highlights of the UK Jewish Film Festival.

A map appeared showing the Luftwaffe’s targets in West Hampstead during the war. Not surprisingly, it’s “all the train lines”.

Jack Bruce, John Paul Jones, Lemmy, Lulu and Screaming Lord Sutch – just a handful of musicians who’ve called West Hampstead home. The Kilburn History blogpost coincides with a new book – “Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek” – launching in West End Lane Books on November 18th.

Learn practical gardening skills for free at the West Hampstead Women’s Centre.

The rumour that Tesco is to open where Angeles Szechuan restaurant was on Kilburn High Road looks to be more than a rumour now.

Paramount is once again participating in the Wrap Up London campaign, collecting winter coats from people who might have one spare to give to people who really need them. Coats can be donated until November 11th.

Discussion continued over the architectural merits of the two designs for the Mario’s block.

Next Saturday, the Brent Symphony Orchestra is performing in St James’ Church.

Camden council has been blocked from imposing “double council tax” on homes left empty for extended periods.

A great video appeared, “Secrets of the Jubilee Line“. Well worth watching.

The People’s Centre for Change on Shoot-Up Hill is launching some new events for adults and children with disabilities, and their carers.

Oscars Den snuck into the Daily Mail in the run-up to Halloween.

The Alexandra & Ainsworth estate recently had an open day.

Most of the pubs went in for some ghoulish decorations this week, but The Black Lion wins the prize.

The Salt House on Abbey Road has reopened under new management.

Tweet of the Week
Two Tweets of the Week – one for each of the major events:

Housemate left kitchen window open (idiot!) and the wind has blown my cafetiere onto the floor & smashed it #ukstorm #firstworldproblems
— Davies (@daviesinthecity) October 28, 2013

To the man in West Hampstead dressed as a rubix cube: you are my hero #missedconnections #halloweencostume
— Rachel-Eireann N (@Rachel_Eireann) October 31, 2013

What have I missed since October 21st?

The Mario’s block redevelopment plans could go traditional or contemporary. Have a look at the pictures and read more about the proposals.

Camden threw out the proposal to turn the empty units in Alfred Court on Fortune Green Road into a private school.

West Hampstead’s rubbish problem isn’t getting any better – how can Camden clamp down on fly-tipping? Can a Keith Moffitt walkabout have an impact?

Another impressive sunset. Photo via James Taylor

A would-be #whamper worked out that it would be cheaper to live in Barcelona and commute daily to his London city job than to rent in West Hampstead. The story was picked up widely by the media and promptly misunderstood by almost everyone.

I’ve updated the article on the new proposals for Gondar Gardens with better pictures and more reaction.

Police released a CCTV image of a conman who broke into the home of a 93-year-old West Hampstead woman.

There’s still time to return the survey (or fill it in online) about your views on West Hampstead.

Adam’s Grill opened – still with that obnoxious flashing sign… but what’s the food like?

Poco Pizza – operating out of Paya’s premises – flyered the area with its menu. Some pizzas are not for the faint-hearted.

Tom’s Diner reviewed the #whampdinner at Banana Tree.

Visitor parking permits are going entirely online. Not everyone’s impressed.

A sign went up on Fortune Green to commemorate its designation as a Queen Elizabeth II field. Meanwhile, this Sunday there were some owls on Fortune Green and now a new owl sculpture!

Part of Kingsgate Road has been turned into a street ca. 1984 for Pride, a Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West film.

Camden has asked for architects to tender for the proposed redevelopment of Liddell Road.

Could playwright Joe Orton be next in line for a Kilburn Historic plaque?

The Selfish Giant is NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local cinema listings here including all the Halloween film specials at the main cinemas, and in St James’ Church.

The Garden Friends group is looking for some volunteers on November 9th.

Tweet of the Week

Saw Ken Livingstone in Finchley Road Waitrose yesterday. Now my mum thinks West Hampstead’s full of ‘celebs’.
— Misabelina (@Misabelina) October 23, 2013

What have I missed since October 14th?

The third Gondar Gardens proposal from Linden Wates isn’t radically different from the previous ones – but it may just be different enough to get the green light.

Whampreview gave its verdict on Bellaluna. Thumbs up or thumbs down?

The redevelopment of the Mario’s block on Broadhurst Gardens could still be either traditional or modern in its facade. Plans are for 39 apartments, and the building would be one storey higher than it is today.

Just a giraffe in a car. Standard. Photo via Mairéad Roche

The Overground was severely disrupted for most of the week after a derailment near Camden Road. Normal service should resume in time for the Monday morning rush hour. 

Kilburn ward councillor Mike Katz, having been the wrong gender to make the Hampstead & Kilburn Labour shortlist, is now having a tilt at Brent Central.

In a week where a Guardian article about London property set tongues wagging, this little snatch of overheard conversation shows who’s investing in West Hampstead.

An unfinished drawing of Iverson Road in 1940 turned up in the offices of a Kilburn plumbing supplies shop. “Police interference” was cited for it not being completed.

Local councillors set out their position on the proposed primary school on Liddell Road, which was also the topic of lively debate at this month’s NDF meeting.

The NDF dropped flyers into every property in West Hampstead and Fortune Green wards. It’s really worth filling in the form and dropping it off in the library or complete it online.

Finchley Road post office looks set to move into WH Smith’s next year. Though there is still a consultation stage.

#whampgather tickets came available… and in less than 24 hours, all 250 of them were snapped up. There’s no waiting list, but I may be able to release a few more depending on cancellations nearer the time.

Poco Pizza (which replaced Paya) was giving away free pizza slices on Friday. I saw only one verdict: “Very tasty.”

Here’s the most detailed review of the Czech restaurant for some time (even mentions yours truly).

Captain Phillips is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Full local cinema listings here. Meanwhile, how does the new JW3 cinema measure up?

An easy-to-use ward-level map of 2011 census data, makes it easy to compare neighbourhing areas.

West Hampstead snuck into a silly Evening Standard piece about popular Amazon products in different parts of London. We live up to Nappy Valley stereotype by being the best customers of a posh teether.

A photo popped up of Shirley Bassey in her husband’s record shop on West End Lane at what is now Art4Fun. (Read more about this.)

How was the SkyRide around the borough borders?

Stats on students in Blackburn Road: 62% female, 40% postgrads, 58% are from overseas (49 different nationalities), and 10% have bikes!

The NW6 School campaign wants parents and other interested parties to fill in a survey about what kind of school provision they think the area needs.

Sir Bradley Wiggins’ old school, St Augustine’s in Kilburn, was rated outstanding by Ofsted.

The WI is going burlesque on November 7th. Women only!

Although I was trying desperately not to mention THE BOOK that was released this week, I should at least acknowledge that long-time collaborator Boz Boorer bought his copy from West End Lane early doors. “I can’t believe I was at the local bookshop at 8.59 this morning”, he tweeted.

The Kilburn History blog looked at some tales of poison from the area in the 19th century.

Amaan’s Grill on West End Lane is up for sale as a going concern, £24,000 a year + a “substantial premium”. On Mill Lane, the unit next to Monsters of Art is also available to let (for £15,000/yr).

Swiss Cottage Safer Neighbourhood Team reports crime slightly up compared to last summer. In related news, Superman was spotted using an ATM on Finchley Road on Thursday. Later that day he was spotted being arrested.

The first Women’s Business Network social event took place in The Gallery. More are planned for next year.

Next Sunday, Friends of Fortune Green is hosting a birds of prey event along with a (less fascinating, but presumably very worthwhile) bulb planting session.

Frankie & Benny’s is now slated for an O2 opening – understanding is in place of Rossopomodoro, which had been planning to move there.

Tweet of the Week

We have Wembley on our doorstep, a great world venue, yet all I read is #whampers complaining about crowds/football there, @WHampstead – wow
— John Mennis (@JfmJm) October 15, 2013

What have I missed since October 7th?

Chez Chantal is to become a Headmasters hairdressers. More serious research into the gaps in the West Hampstead market there. Maybe it has set its sights on stealing Bank of England governor Mark Carney away from Mill Lane Barbers. Micro Logic on Fortune Green Road is apparently also set to become another hair & beauty operation.

Illustrious magazine The Economist wrote about the opening of JW3.

The bench on Hemstal Road now has a companion bin!

Several of you captured this delight on Maygrove Road.
Photo via Dan Hizzai

There’s one day left to vote in the Property News poll.

Maajid Nawaz, the Lib Dems’ parliamentary candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn, has claimed to be behind the EDL’s founder, Tommy Robinson, decision to leave the organisation over its extremist views (the EDL’s, not the Lib Dems).

Le Week-End is NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

After the cucumbers come the bagels. Oy vey.

Why there will never be a bus shelter at the northbound stop on the Thameslink road bridge.

Tweet of the Week

In a pub in West Hampstead and youngish girl just walked alone and ordered a shot of tequila, as one does on a Sunday.
— Tomás Romanov (@tomasromanov) October 13, 2013

What have I missed since September 30th?

Four more men were arrested in connection with the murder of Sabrina Moss; one has been charged.

Mario’s on Broadhurst Gardens is finally set for redevelopment – but the whole block will have to come down first!

A very impressive online historical map of the area reveals all sorts of curiosities, though my favourite part is seeing how Sidings estate got its name (hint, use the horizontal slider).

Flying pig spotted over West Hampstead by Lara Geary

The developers hell bent on building on Gondar Gardens are drawing up a third plan for the site.

Paya look set to re-open as Poco Pizza – clearly some extensive market research there into what people really felt we needed in West Hampstead.

Is a new bench aimed at the elderly becoming a magnet for antisocial behaviour?

Confusion abounds regarding the trees on the Ballymore / Network Rail land, but those freight trains will keep on coming.

A blue plaque has been put up in honour of Sir Bradley Wiggins – sadly not actually in Kilburn, but at Paddington Rec.

Even local celebrity Robert Webb has taken to sticking the boot into the Fortune Green Tesco Express.

Was great to see a healthy turnout of #whampers for last Monday’s comedy night at The Good Ship. Look out for the astonishing Abandoman later this month.

This amazing song by comedian Jay Foreman squeezes in the name of every tube station, but as befits our status in the world, West Hampstead also creeps in as a backdrop to the video. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Tom reports back on Kilburn newbie The Earl Derby.

The Neighbourhood Development Forum garnered some positive press coverage in the Camden New Journal, while the Ham & High reflected on the impact a new Waitrose would have on property prices.

Next Sunday there’s a special charity quiz at The Black Lion in aid of the RNIB’s Reading campaign.

October’s Property of the Month is a 2-bed flat with a garden on West End Lane.

The landscaping of the path behind the new Blackburn Road student block is a marked improvement on its previous state.

Reckon you’re a pool shark? The Railway’s got a competition on Thursday, but you need to sign up before Tuesday.

As the Jewish Community Centre JW3 revs into action, we looked at its range of fitness courses. Meanwhile, there are new over-50s exercise classes at the library on Monday and Wednesday mornings, in conjunction with the West Hampstead Community Centre.

The WHAT 40th anniversary exhibition launches on Monday 7th in the library and runs for six weeks. The Monday event is immediately followed that evening by “Burma Revisited” – a talk by a Crediton Hill resident.

On Friday, there’s a talk on globalisation and power and animated birds (!) at the Tin Tabernacle in Kilburn.

The tannoy at West Hampstead Thameslink has been muffled after long-suffering residents complained.

Thursday was National Poetry Day and Fortune Green’s artist-in-residence penned “Water“. A quick shout on Twitter for some local verse brough forth a wide range of standards. I decree Liam Purcell the winner!

@WHampstead I want to live in Hampstead With the rising middle class And walk across the hallowed heath With a perky local lass
— Liam Purcell (@Dubliner1) October 3, 2013

If you’re interested in opening a new restaurant, the Elephant Walk site is on the market again. Rent is £30,000 a year.

A new exhibition opens at Camden Arts Centre on Thursday that’s perhaps a bit more accessible than usual.

Camden council has to find another £25 million in savings.

West End Lane Books confirmed that Scottish crime writer extraordinaire Ian Rankin will grace the shop on November 5th for a book signing. Expect healthy queues.

The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology is NxNW6’s film of the week. Full local listings here.

The West Hampstead Hockey Club (which actually plays in Brent Cross) now enjoys two new all-weather pitches.

Mill Lane tea-room Bake-a-boo has ditched its trademark pink exterior.

In the never-ending “reimagined” tube maps, West Hampstead has become footballing star Juninho. Finchley Road got to be Matt Busby, though why Stéphane Henchoz wasn’t Swiss Cottage is beyond me.

Oh yes… and keep the evening of Thursday November 14th free in your diaries (and maybe take the 15th off work). #whampgather

Tweet of the Week

Man walking down West End Lane in @WHampstead loudly whistling Deck The Halls. NOT YET?!
— aktaraja (@aktaraja) October 3, 2013

What have I missed since September 23rd?

The funeral was held for Sabrina Moss, the woman shot and killed on Kilburn High Road last month.

JW3 – the new Jewish Community Centre on the corner of Lymington Road and Finchley Road – opened its doors to the public for the first time this Sunday. And a lot of the public turned up to look at it.

Waitrose has talked about its “long-standing ambition” to open in West Hampstead – an ambition that should be realised.

One of the more spectacular sunsets
(via Graham Salisbury)

Monday Sep 30th: Come to Good Ship Comedy for an impromptu whampevent. It’s only a fiver in, and Andy Zaltzman is headlining.

Adam’s Grill, the new kebab place a couple of doors down from the station, is still being fitted out. The owners have painted it gold and stuck up a flashing sign for which I believe they need planning permission.

Paya, the Chinese/Thai restaurant south of the tube station, has closed though the site has not been sold. One photo seemed to show a pizza oven being installed.

The pan-Asian street food restaurant set to replace Grilled O Fried has applied for its licence. It’s called Tomai, and is owned by the people behind Guglee.

The debate on the proposed free school began to get more fractious and divided, despite the attempts of campaigner Clare Craig to mollify people.

In a new section on the website, read about a half-day walk through Brent and Barnet that might just surprise you.

The new Emmanuel School building was officially opened, with various luminaries in attendance.

At a West End Lane Books talk about “Overlooked London”, we learned that Hellraiser was filmed in a studio in Cricklewood – it’s also the Halloween film screening at St James’s Church!

Whampdinner at Banana Tree was a great success. There’ll be another whampdinner in October, so keep your eyes peeled.

The Neighbourhood Development Forum is upping its engagement efforts. There were workshops this Saturday that I know some of you attended, but there’s more to come.

The Earl Derby pub opened in Kilburn (taking over from The Golden Egg). A series of soft launch evenings appeared to go well.

WHAT is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

There was a picket line outside West Hampstead fire station on Wednesday during the national fire brigade strike.

In shock news, Tom went out for dinner but didn’t order gnocchi. Italy’s ambassador to the UK has requested talks.

The latest tube map to appear, translates (in various ways) stations into German. Change at West Heimhof for London Overground and National Rail services.

Blue Jasmine is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Check out all the local listings and news of a drive-in cinema in Brent Cross.

There are still a few places left on this “Camden Orbital” easy bike ride next Sunday.

Mill Lane locksmiths AK Locksmiths has joined Twitter @AKLocksLtd.

Tweet of the Week

02Sainsburys, me: ‘r the new students boosting trade?’ Staffer: ‘yep, sold loads of plasma TVs’. Move over, baked beans. @WHampstead #whamp
— Simon Benson (@Simonjhbenson) September 25, 2013

What have I missed since September 16th?

The parents campaigning for a new secondary chool in West Hampstead set out their stall, and the responsible Camden cabinet member responded. Debate then ensued!

Barclays’ Swiss Cottage branch hit the headlines when it was the source of a cyber security attack that cost the bank £1.3m.

Kingsgate primary school is expanding – almost certainly to Liddell Road in the heart of West Hampstead, where 100 homes will be built and sold to pay for it.

Granny Drippen’s stairway to heaven (via Nicola Rosetti)

The NW2 Garden Friends have run into multiple dead-ends in their laudable attempts to salvage useful material from the old Hampstead Garden Centre site on Iverson Road.

Ballymore officially launched the sales for West Hampstead Square – people remain a little gobsmacked by the prices (studios start at £405k), 2-beds in the £750k+ range. Service charge is ~£2,800 for 2-beds (and even ground rent is £750!).

The sixth draft of the Neighbourhood Development Plan is online and waiting your comments. If you’d really like to get involved then come to one of this Saturday’s 2hr workshops. The NDF is very keen for new faces to come along, so it’s not just the usual suspects making all the decisions.

The ever-brilliant Kilburn History blog posted a lengthy article on music recording and production in West Hampstead and Kilburn.

The Sherriff Centre (the non-profit group that will run the post office in the church) is in talks with London Mutual regarding launching a credit union.

The BBC’s Watchdog programme uncovered some very dodgy dealings from Grattan Estates, a property rental company that operates partly around NW6. The story is in three parts: 1, 2, 3. Or just look at their “mugshots” here.

The owners of Golden Balls – a clothes shop that used to be where Shaketastic was most recently – won their lengthy battle with Fifa, which was sueing them for trademark infringement.

Meanwhile, the Shaketastic site now has a “sold” sign up – am still hearing it’s going to be a barber’s (which was what it used to be some years ago).

First Capital Connect was fined £75,000 for the incident in 2011 when 800 passengers were stranded between Kentish Town and St Pancras in stifling heat.

Hampstead & Kilburn has the UK’s second highest number of people paying income tax (67,000), paying the fifth-highest amount of income tax per head (£21,300).

New life is breathed into an old campaign: stop the 139 bus travelling empty down Mill Lane.

The Salt House on Abbey Road has been taken over by Metropolitan Pubs/Greene King (the same group that runs the North London Tavern and West End Lane’s Black Lion). It’s closed for a full refurb until the end of October.

The farmers’ market celebrated its first anniversary (with cake, of course).

Bill Nighy’s Q&A at the Tricycle was NxNW6’s Film of the Week (but was on Saturday!). All the films still to come are here. The area’s newest cinema – the screen at JW3 – launches with free screenings next Sunday and Monday.

Ciaran Kenny is visiting every station in London – and he’s already been to West Hampstead (downhill from here, Ciaran).

The Blue graffiti that’s broken out in a rash on local streets of late, hit Fortune Green.

Read more about the Jubilee Line’s operation and how the trains are maintained.

Tom enjoyed some “potatoey” chips at the Black Lion in Kilburn.

If you’ve not seen them – there are some great 1920s aerial photos of the north-eastern part of West Hampstead online.

Powers, which closed a few weeks ago, is to become “Kilburn Ironworks”, a “prime eating and drinking establishment” (I think that means “bar/restaurant”).

The “kid from Kilburn”, Sir Bradley Wiggins, won the Tour of Britain. I tell you this purely to link to this blurry photo I took of him riding to victory on Sunday afternoon.

Tweet of the Week

If you’re the lady who took a cab from Mill Lane to Maida Vale, the turnip you forgot on the back seat is now back at George’s Fruit & Veg
— Mark Marfe (@TibuDelMar) September 21, 2013

What have I missed since September 9th?

Waitrose submitted its full planning applications, covering delivery arrangements and noise impact. All summarised neatly here.

There’s some confusion over the fate of the trees adjacent to the West Hampstead Square site, while it looks like those on the site will indeed be felled.

The fly tipping at Minster Road is getting worse. We’re still waiting for Camden to propose a more structured solution than responding to residents’ complaints.

Photo via Richard Olszewski

A map showing how London had evolved socio-economically over the past 10 years revealed that West Hampstead had more or less remained the same.

There was a break-in at Feng Sushi – apparently all that was taken was five bottles of cheap wine. There were also some attempted and actual burglaries around Maygrove and Loveridge Roads.

We met Maygrove Road’s very own Tom & Jerry.

Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff has apparently moved to West Hampstead.

This Monday, Locally Sourced hosts “A Conversation with Morris Beckman“, a founder of the 43 Group – an anti-fascist group set up by Jewish ex-servicemen. It’s at Brioche, starts at 7.30pm and is free.

The majority of the new students moved into their Blackburn Road accommodation.

Various parts of West Hampstead lost water intermittently during the week. Unless Thames Water can be persuaded to bring forward its pipe-replacement programme for the area, this will keep on happening.

Rush is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Check out all the new releases and full local listings.

Zadie Smith’s NW is resolutely set (confined?) to north-west London… but is it a book more of its time than its place?

In their final match of the year, league winners Hampstead took on an all-star celebrity cricket team (including current and former England players) in the drizzle and won a last-ball thriller.

A drain cover exploded outside The Alice House on Wednesday. Firemen were quickly on the scene.

Starbucks was evacuated on Saturday after smoke was spotted coming from the front. The fire brigade was also called to an incident on Dennington Park Road on Saturday at about the same time.

The long-running debate about fire station closures lurched on, with another nail in the coffin for Belsize station. West Hampstead station, which held its open day on Sunday, is not under imminent threat of closure.

The Sherriff Centre – the organisation that will run the post office in St James’ church along with other social enterprise operations – may also host a credit union. The contract with the Post Office has now been signed so it’s all systems go.

St James’ Church will host a small film season around Halloween, kicking off with Hellraiser on All Hallow’s Eve itself.

A guy attempting to visit every Nando’s in the world ticked the West Hampstead branch off his list.

A member of the Baader-Meinhof gang was arrested in West Hampstead 35 years ago this Sunday.

I don’t like using the C-word at this time of year, but the West Hamsptead Business Association Christmas Market will be held on Nov 30th from 10-4 on West End Green. There are a limited number of stalls available, which are are primarily for local traders and crafts. For more information on stalls, or if you would like to volunteer on the day please e- mail .

Tweet of the Week

Went to Dylan’s @WHampstead to complain about ants in my sons donut and saw that they had bigger issues w animals. pic.twitter.com/VAq261qhL6
— Maha Khan Phillips (@MahaKhanPhillip) September 11, 2013

What have I missed since September 2nd?

The man charged with Sabrina Moss appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink. This was a preliminary hearing and he will be back in court on November 19. The court heard how he used a Mac-10 submachine gun (a notoriously inaccurate weapon) and a shotgun. Police continue to search for witnesses.

Ballymore has confirmed that all the trees on its site will be removed, in accordance with its planning permission, despite strong pleas from locals to retain at least a couple of the trees. The flats (well, the studios) at West Hampstead Square start at £405,000.

Hampstead School made the front page of both local papers for different (yet perhaps related?) reasons. The Ham & High ran a story about the campaign for a local free school, in which a Labour activist had branded the campaigners “snobs”. The Camden New Journal meanwhile went with the story of the headmaster contacting police over the “anarchist tendencies” of a former pupil who ran a satirical blog about the school.

Lots of you spotted this aircraft u-turn at sunset on Monday
Photo via @jemimah_knight

A burst water main on Woodchurch Road knocked out water on Monday evening for some locals.

The dumping of rubbish around the area continues to be a problem, especially at this Minster Road location. Camden does come and clear it up when asked, but it seems a very inefficient approach.

September’s Property of the Month topped the £1 million mark – it’s on Greencroft Gardens.

Appropriately, this month’s Property News looked at whether the latest house price bubble could be about to burst.

Meanwhile, the man who may have the most impact on house prices, caused a different type of crash as he moved his stuff into his local home.

The short-lived Pizzeria Naila between Benham & Reeves and the Nisa corner shop is apparently due to reopen as…. a kebab shop. I’ll take bets on how long it lasts.

Meanwhile, another independent coffee shop is apparently sniffing around West Hampstead. Chez Chantal, Shaketastic and Picasso’s are all empty at the moment…

Tom gave his unique perspective on #whampdinner at La Brocca.

There was a very heavy police presence in the area on Thursday and Cllr Keith Moffitt saw “about 10 police officers ‘detaining’ someone”. Borough police said they “received info re a possible incident, and to ensure public safety, resources were allocated accordingly.” Many locals assumed it was linked to the Jewish New Year as the synagogue seemed to be the hub of police activity, though sadly Camden police didn’t elaborate further.

The Citizens Advice Bureau in Kilburn closed after 40 years of service apparently.

After appearing to admit electoral fraud, violinist Nigel Kennedy will not face prosecution as the relevant records have since been destroyed.

Powers Bar on Kilburn High Road confirmed that it had closed for good.

The Great Beauty is @NxNW6‘s film of the week. Full local listings here.

A parking enforcement vehicle was spotted slightly, er, infringing itself.

The three main candidates for Hampstead & Kilburn have finally all given their views on the Syria question.

Sarah Teather has decided to step down as MP for Brent Central before the next election.

The Brent/Camden partnership to improve Kilburn High Road has been quiet of late, but there are some developments in the pipeline, including a temporary “Kilburn university”.

There was a fire on Saturday night in West Hampstead Mews – literally on the street. The fire brigade arrived very promptly and put it out.

Even though the silly season has surely ended, a cucumber was spotted – albeit in Holborn rather than West Hampstead.

Tweet of the Week
Stiff competition this week with plenty of contenders, but in the end I’ve called it a dead heat between these two.

OH at WH station: “West Hampstead has to be the sixth best location in London”. Sixth? Where are these five supposedly ‘better’ places?
— Emily (@emilyeke) September 7, 2013

Me and @mueslilover just rescued a cat stuck up a tree in West Hampstead. #noneedtosaythanksjustservingthecommunity. Cat sauntered off.
— Seldom Records (@seldomrecords) September 5, 2013

What have I missed since August 26th?

One man will appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday charged with the murder of Sabrina Moss. Detectives are still appealing for witnesses though as more than one person is believed to be involved. Friends and family of Miss Moss held a vigil on Saturday to mark one week since she was shot on Kilburn High Road.

Virtuoso violinist Nigel Kennedy has admitted electoral fraud in a newspaper interview. Chris Philp, who lost the election by 42 votes, is calling for him to be investigated.

The crusade continued against estate agent signs that stay up long after the property has been sold or let.

Photo via Richard Milestone

It was 50 years since David Bowie’s first professional recording, which took place at Decca Studios in West Hampstead.

Maajid Nawaz, Lib Dem candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn, penned an op-ed in the FT about the Commons vote on action in Syria. Labour candidate Tulip Siddiq said “no rash decisions should be made” . Tory Simon Marcus has been silent on the matter.
 
This Saturday’s free Fortune Green film screening was another big success. Comfortably more than 100 people watched, sang along to, and generally guffawed at The Blues Brothers.

Has the Abbey Area development stalled?

A scholarship has been set up in the name of Richard Gent, the West Hampstead actor who was found dead near Cricklewood having been missing for more than a year.

One of the odder comments on the website implied that length of living in the area gave residents extra rights to leave rubbish outside.

A photo of West Hampstead in 1978 appeared. It showed the Bridge Cafe in existence in 1978, along with a rail replacement bus service! Another from 1977 showed a 28 bus (not 328) to Golders Green and the Golden Gate takeaway. My favourite was of a C11 out of a Tonka toy set outisde the Black Lion.

A Dominos motorcyclist was knocked off his bike on Thursday, and a cyclist appeared to have been knocked over on Sunday.

Lymington Road based Hampstead Cricket Club 1st XI won its league for the first time ever. The 3rd, 4ths and Ladies team also all won their leagues.

Hampstead & Kilburn was one of the most expensive “per voter” constituencies in 2010.

Grilled O Fried is to become “toomai”, a pan-Asian street food restaurant/take-away.

The garden wall at the Czech bar collapsed suddenly. No-one was hurt, but apparently a squirrel was running along it at the time. Meanwhile, the plastic Czech chef got a mention in Londonist’s “Ten London Notices That Make Us a Bit Nervous” list

The Railway wants to put awnings up. For its smokers?

Powers Bar has apparently closed for good – waiting for confirmation of this.

Check out all the new film releases on the website.

The fifth #whampbooks on Thursday was a great success with another record turnout, free wine and an amazing cake (that somehow I didn’t get any of).

Tweet of the Week

Dog owners who bother to put their dog’s shit in a plastic bag but then leave the bag on the pavement…there’s no such thing as Shit Pixies
— Mark Marfe (@TibuDelMar) August 29, 2013

What have I missed since August 19th?

Two women were shot, one fatally, on Kilburn High Road in the early hours of Saturday morning. Two arrests have been made, but police are still appealing for witnesses. It appears the two victims were “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

Sabrina Moss, who died
after being shot in Kilburn

Waitrose is moving to West Hampstead… but into which building?

Will that satisfy the constant craving for a butcher?

A quick poll on where you get your meat from showed two-thirds buy from supermarkets in person, and 11 percent use a high street butcher already.

Rubbish and recycling problems persist as do water supply problems. It’s time to see some action from Camden on both issues, including fly tipping.

A minor flood delayed the West End Lane sewer repair works, but they did eventually conclude this week… until the next time.

A man was jailed for handling card skimming devices used to steal bank details at West Hampstead tube station.

Don’t forget it’s #whampbooks this Thursday evening. Free wine and 20% of all stock.

West Hampstead got away marginally better than Kilburn in this synaesthesia tube map.

It’s the last few days to name the seven West Hamsptead Square tower blocks (hint: we’ve already had two submissions of the names of the seven dwarves).

In other Ballymore news, is it possible to save any of the trees on the construction site?

Check out all the new film releases and full listings for local cinemas.

There are plenty more events planned for Kilburn Grange’s centenary celebrations.

There’ll be an open morning for the 1 Mill Lane nature site on Sat 14th September.

Tweet of the Week

Heard a loud animalish noise outside and immediately thought it was a bear. Probably not since this is West Hampstead.
— Kate Ward (@kateward10) August 20, 2013

What have I missed since August 12th?

It’s not clear whether Abercorn School wants to move into Fortune Green or not – what is clear is that a large number of locals are opposed to the idea.

Camden’s Kilburn ward will be getting support and funding as part of an initiative to bridge the digital divide.

You’re all getting bored of the lengthy roadworks on West End Lane to repair the sewer. The end is nigh (until the next time).

The Scots descended on West Hampstead for a football match>
Photo via @adam_m_phillips

We’re only a couple of weeks away from the arrival of students in West Hampstead – I crowdsourced some tips for them (and took some photos of the expensive flats they’ll be moving into).

Mamacita and Wired are both looking for baristas. Mamacita requires “excellent milk work” , while Wired needs someone who can “demonstrate milk control and texturing ability“. Someone who can manage not to burn an Americano would suit me.

Property News turned its attention to the rental market, with a look at the shift in the balance of power between landlords and tenants (and you can vote in a poll too) [sponsored].

Fancy getting fit and raising money for The Winch? We’re trying to put together a Team Whamp for next year’s Ride London event.

The Kilburn History blog looked at artists the Detmold twins, who worked at the Sherriff Road Studios between 1902 and 1905.

A woman was robbed of her £15,000 Rolex in Kilburn.

Check out all the new film releases and full cinema listings in the area.

Eriki, the Indian restaurant on Finchley Road, is becoming “India Per Se” Same owners but new “casual dining concept” apparently.

There’s a rumour that the short-lived pizzeria Picasso on West End Lane is going to become… yes, a pizzeria. It’s only a rumour.

It was the 31st anniversary of a brutal unsolved West Hampstead murder. “The case is not cold.”

La Brocca hosted the first whampdinner, which was a great success. There’ll be another in September – remember that mailing list subscribers get priority.

Tom’s Diner gave the lowdown on Hidden Treasure.

Rouge Lounge is trying to get its licence changed so it can open after 8pm, and serve alcohol and hot food.

Hampstead Ladies cricket team won the North London Women’s League.

Tweet of the Week

Girl wearing crash helmet, no bike in sight, strolling down west end lane. Whampstead has become more perilous than I thought.
— Lisa Goll (@LisasShare) August 15, 2013

What have I missed since August 5th?

There was some debate about the prevalence of estate agent signs in the area. I ran a poll that showed 83% think they are eyesores, and 17% “helpful”.

St James’ Church was finally officially awarded the contract for the Post Office. Expect it to open in the spring.

The Mexican restaurant where LoveFood used to be is called Mamacita and the downstairs bar is called Frida’s. Both had a soft launch this weekend. Full opening from next weekend.

Sunsets over the railway (via @MadameGarlick)

It’s controversial, but it’s going ahead. Here’s your chance to name the tower blocks at West Hampstead Square (for real!) and win a meal for two.

A new playground is being laid at Beckford School

Could a live music scene thrive in West Hampstead/Kilburn like it used to?

Secret Boutique, which used to be dowsnstairs at LoveFood had its official launch party at its new Fortune Green address.

Ladudu’s name finally gets the recognition it, er, deserves.

August’s Property of the Month is in the Greek Streets [sponsored]

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is @NxNW6‘s film of the week. Get the lowdown on all the latest releases and local screenings.

#whampbooks returns for a fifth edition on August 29th. Meet some locals, drink some wine, save some money.

It seems that Szechaun restaurant Angeles on Kilburn High Road has closed – the rumour is that it’s going to become a Tesco.

Tweet of the Week

Overheard @whampstead: 2 guys studying pic on Billy Fury Way: “He looks like Justin Bieber”.
— andy sarner (@bubela) August 11, 2013

What have I missed since July 29th?

Camden’s parking fine surplus stands at more than £20 million, but minicabs on Solent Road continue to park illegally.

A man was charged with the mid-July robbery at the Western Union branch in Swiss Cottage.

In a week of storms, a lightning strike knocked out some rail infrastructure and caused delays to the Thameslink line.

A storm’s a comin’ (via Emily Jones)

The cucumber story still hasn’t died – TimeOut picked it up.

Problems persist with rubbish and recycling collection and some residents are taking umbrage at the sheer number of bins on our streets.

Health Town – a healthfood/supplements shop – opened on West End Lane.

The West Hampstead community noticeboard was smashed, and repaired.

The Blues Brothers will be the August 31st Film on Fortune Green.

We added David’s Deli to the “Best Schnitzel in West Hampstead” round-up.

A burst water main in Finchley Road caused a couple of days of traffic chaos

Which estate agent topped the “most productive in London” list (it means most income per employee)?

The planning application has finally been submitted to turn the ground floor of Fortune Green’s Alfred Court into a private school.

Tom’s been eating prawns (what else!) at Guglee.

Only God Forgives is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

Don’t forget there’s free swimming at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre this month for locals.

The Alliance joins Curled Leaf as a Field2Fork Co-op collection point (and is open late!).

Tweet of the Week

1 photo; 3 houses; 9 recycling bins – 5 in one garden! Unsightly. Glad I stuck with the boxes and bags. #WHampRubbish pic.twitter.com/8fbyZ1h2QP
— Steve (@SteveWHamp) August 2, 2013

What have I missed since July 22nd?

The cucumber story refuses to die – and meant a quick appearance on the BBC London breakfast radio show.

The marketing suite for West Hampstead Square has opened and you can see the model of the development.

Camden council has decided to set a 20mph limit in borough after consultation.

Papa John’s gets the NYC treatment from Elliott Percival

A cyclist was badly hurt in a collision with a lorry on the Finchley Road on Monday.

How hygienic are West Hampstead’s cafés, bars and restaurants?

So many hair salons, but so few get recommended. What gives?

Since the change in rubbish collection days, residents have been reporting lots of problems and missed collections. Camden is apparently working to resolve this and you can report missed collections here.

Camden residents can swim for free at Swiss Cottage this summer.

Secret Boutique, which was in the basement of LoveFood, is moving to 60 Fortune Green Road (where the florist used to be). It’s due to open in the next week or so.

Can Camden council take a leaf out of Whitehorse in the Yukon?

A new street for West Hampstead? An early proposal in yet another set of planning guidelines for the area.

Frances Ha is @NxNW6‘s film of the week. Full local film listings here.

Tweet of the Week

@WHampstead That’s right, people on WEL, just keep holding down your horns. That’s not irritating and will DEFINITELY make traffic move.
— Emily Turner (@KineticEcstasy) July 22, 2013

What have I missed since July 15th?

The mystery of the cucumbers dominated the early part of the week – and the national press finally picked it up at the end of the week (although confused West Hampstead with Hampstead).

We now know who the three main Hampstead & Kilburn candidates will be for the next general election.

We rounded up all the schnitzels in West Hampstead… but which was the best?

A cucumber that didn’t survive. Photo via Sam Field

There was a violent armed robbery in Swiss Cottage on Friday. Police are appealing for information.

The rash of blue graffiti around Maygrove and Iverson Road has angered locals.

The pavement by the yet-to-open marketing suite for West Hampstead Square was widened and some trees put in.

The proposal for 159-161 Iverson Road exceeds the affordable housing quota – almost unheard of!

Chris Philp, former Tory PPC for Hampstead & Kilburn, is behind a new property fund that has invested in 163 Iverson Road.

Sad news that the body of Richard Gent, who went missing more than a year ago from West Hampstead was found near Cricklewood.

West End Lane has been chaos for traffic this week with a collapsed sewer still being repaired and at one stage a 328 bus being involved in a prang.

It’s the final week of the competition to win tickets to the Kenwood House concerts.

Starbucks on West End Lane has had a refit.

Some Ashes legends turned up at Hampstead Cricket Club for a Five Live Ashes special.

Starting next Saturday, the Friends of Fortune Green has a series of events for Love Parks week.

You can still vote for the next Film on Fortune Green on August 31st.

My Neighbour Totoro was NxNW6‘s film of the week. Full local listings in a bumper week for new releases.

Kilburn ranks outside London’s top 20 most dangerous neighbourhoods. No great surprise to those of us who go there regularly.

Local cllr Russel Eagling and former Lib Dem PPC Ed Fordham got engaged after Ed’s tireless work championing the equal marriage bill paid off. The engagement even made it into Hansard.

Cumberland tennis club’s women’s team won the national team tennis title for the first time.

Tweet of the Week

Search for West Hampstead shows ‘West End Lane Toilets’ as area’s most significant landmark…despite property prices pic.twitter.com/mijLaVkOtw
— David Galbraith (@daveg) July 17, 2013

What have I missed since July 8th?

A new Overground station will be built next year – read about this and lots more local transport updates (including a fairly definitive answer to whether Boris Bikes will ever make it to West Hampstead).

Cllr Tulip Siddiq won the Labour nomination as the party’s candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn in the next general election.

Cucumbers are being left in prominent places all over West Hampstead – and no-one knows why…

A mystery cucumber via @EugeneRegis

Two local councillors won’t be seeking reelection next year, but for two very different reasons.

Wired reopened on Broadhurst Gardens, and changed its Twitter handle to reflect its new address

It’s costing £5,200 a week to keep the offices above Travis Perkins empty. Surely someone’s got some better ideas until the building is sold?

WIN: we have three pairs of tickets to give away for the Kenwood House Live by The Lake concerts.

Roadworks caused disruption all week on West End Lane and could continue for some times after the cellar of 210 West End Lane flooded.

The Kilburn Festival appeared to be a big hit – aided by the hot weather.

The Winch’s drama group – funded largely by whampgather raffle ticket sales – staged it’s end-of-term show The Winch Got Bare Talent.

Meanwhile, the Tricycle announced its new theatre season and a change to its seating policy.

Local actor and writer Michael Simkins will be reading stories from his latest book “The Rules of Acting” at West Hampstead Library on Tuesday July 16 from 7.30pm. 

Cumberland tennis club’s women’s team reached the team tennis finals for the first time ever – helped no doubt by the presence of former British No. 1 Anne Keothavong

Everyone got their green wheelie bins delivered (you no longer need to separate your recycling). Camden will collect the old green boxes if you have no more need for them.

Pacific Rim is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week, while The Bling Ring was Sunday night’s Film Club screenngs. Full local listings here and a [sponsored but useful] post here about how to save money when you take the kids to the cinema

Someone got a bit carried away with a blue spray can and a stencil in and around Maygrove Road.

Someone is wearing a canvas pith helmet at West Hampstead station. For this crime, I decree that summer is cancelled with immediate effect.
— Pete Brown (@PeteBrownBeer) July 9, 2013

What have I missed since July 1st?

Mark Carney, new governor of the Bank of England, will be living in West Hampstead – but he’ll struggle to spend his housing allowance here… even if you call this West Hampstead.

Fancy some guerilla gardening? It’s all the rage in Fordwych Road and there’s a talk about it on July 11th.

Floral Fordwych Road treepit

The Jester Festival was a big hit with large crowds in the blazing Saturday sunshine and a very healthy turnout on a Murray-affected Sunday. Hello to all of you who came to see us on the West Hampstead Life stall, was great to meet you.

Wired is back. The popular pop-up coffee shop that lived on the now-demolished parade of shops opposite the tube has reopened on Broadhurst Gardens next to Rock Men’s Salon. It’s still in soft launch phase I believe.

At Tuesday’s Area Action Group meeting we heard from Thames Water that there’s a very long-term plan for replacing the pipes. Half of the remaining old pipes will be replaced between 2015 and 2020, the other half between 2020 and 2025. In reality, one imagines they’ll largely be replaced as and when they fail over the next few years.

The Travis Perkins building (aka 156 West End Lane) is officially on the market, but all that office space could be empty for three years.

A 29-unit development is on the cards on Iverson Road, or could it be merged with the proposed development for the old garden centre site?

Property News returned: could West Hampstead become a ghost town?

Twitter: is there nothing it can’t do? One local saw my tweet of the news that Kirstie & Phil were coming to West Hampstead, followed up with the Location Location Location team, and promptly sold his house via the programme.

A campaign for a new secondary school in West Hampstead is now up and running.

James Corden was in West Hampstead on Wednesday morning giving a pep talk to Greene & Co. in the guise of Smithy.

The Jewish Cultural Centre officially moved into its swish new “JW3” premises on Finchley Road. The centre doesn’t actually open for another couple of months but the celebrity guests are already lining up.

A motorcyclist sustained “life changing injuries” in Kilburn on Tuesday. There was what seemed to be a far less serious incident on Sunday evening on West End Lane/Dennington Park Road apparently involving a car and a pizza delivery bike.

The Bling Ring is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week, and is also the next NW6 Film Club screening on the 14th. Full cinema listings here.

GBK made headlines for all the wrong reasons when a local sanpped a picture of mould on his burger bun.

Kilburn ward councillor Mike Katz was controversially deselected by Labour, meaning he won’t be standing for the position again next year. Meanwhile local MP Glenda Jackson, often accused of being invisible both locally and nationally, asked a question in PMQs this week.

#whampreview is becoming #whampdinner (and mailing list subscribers get priority now).

The Fortune Green & West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood police teams opened a Twitter account: @FGWHlocalpolice.

Tom’s Diner embraced the halloumi at David’s Deli.

The Kilburn history blog had two sad stories of post-natal depression in 19th Century NW6 and an investigation into the local connection to Foyle’s bookshop.

The short-lived Londis on Fortune Green Road went down in a blaze of glory with a buy-1-get-2-free sale on absolutely everything.

At this Sunday’s Kilburn Festival, you can make a wish on a bubble to support speech & language therapy.

It might frustrate local drivers, but there’s still something undeniably charming about the Abbey Road zebra crossing.

The controversial Willesden Green library development is being marketed abroad with the lack of affordable housing as a selling point. Local campaigners aren’t happy.

Tweet of the Week
Congratulations to Sam who has achieved the first consecutive Tweet of the Week wins. Take that, Andy Murray.

Put your shirt on, man. It’s Finchley Road, not Playa d’en Bossa.
— Sam Cookney (@Sam_Cookney) July 5, 2013

What have I missed since June 24th?

Camden’s recycling policies change as of today. Read about the new system, and see where your waste goes.

The new Local Policing Model has also come into effect. West Hampstead has two contact points, each open for three hours a week.

Remember the fishtank in the O2 that was clogged up with algae? It’s clear again.

O2 fishtanks via @TheHampsteadCat

@secretwhamp took over the old Love Food Twitter account in advance of opening what we’re being led to believe will be a Mexican restaurant of some sort.

The Wet Fish Café celebrated its 10th birthday on Sunday.

The Golden Egg on Kilburn High Road is becoming the @EarlDerbyPub.

The amusement arcade next to Poundland on Kilburn High R oadhas won an apppeal to move to the unit north of the O2 shop on the corner of Quex Road.

The ever-excellent Kilburn History blog published two late-19th century tales of the effects of alcohol (in Kilburn).

Nibbana’s sign has fallen off even before it’s opened.

Do you think Fortune Green should become a conservation area?

West End Lane Books put up its six readers’ shelves.

The Act of Killing is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local cinema listings here

Kilburn Older Voices Exchange is holding a two-hour “film festival” on Thursday July 4th at Kingsgate Resource Centre, 208 Webheath. It will screen Older Voices – getting around Kilburn High Road, showing how local residents with disabilities navigate a busy high street, and a selection of films from KOVE’s archive.

In 2012, West Hampstead tube station was used 9.71m times, well up on 2011’s 8.32m (remember all those closures). West Hampstead Overground was used 2.88m times and Thameslink 2.78m times.

The rumour is that the small Shaketastic site opposite the Overground is going to become a barber shop.

Come along next Sunday (you can come before the Murray v Djokovic match) and say hello to West Hampstead Life at the Jester Festival.

Tweet of the Week

.@alicehousewh is pumpin’. Never realised #whamp was so happening of a Saturday night. Beats St John’s Wood. There, I said it.
— Sam Cookney (@Sam_Cookney) June 29, 2013

What have I missed since June 17th?

At a meeting held by Camden’s borough commander, we learned that the West Hampstead police horses will be here for some time to come, but there remained a lack of clarity on the staffing levels of the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams. West Hampstead will have two contact points, however, one on West End Lane and one in Fortune Green. Hampstead police station, which had hoped for a repreive, will close its doors as of this Monday.

A new dry cleaner (yes, another one) opened where Hampstead Food & Wine used to be, on the corner of Sherriff Road and West End Lane.

And a new men’s salon (yes, another one) opened in Fortune Green.

Kilburn State sunset via @CWDingwall

The fire brigade was in action on Thursday evening on Smyrna Road

A woman appeared to be holding some sort of pagan festival outside Waitrose this week, although as this photographer noted, the wind kept blowing the flowers away

Before Midnight is NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

The Australian cricket team were training at the Lymington Road home of Hampstead Cricket Club on Thursday.

Kirstie Allsopp made waves while she was filming in West Hampstead this week, with a call for Hillfield Road residents to tidy up their street.

Learn more about Alexandra Road, deemed “some of the most exciting council housing of modern times.”

In other local history news, read about the “Lost” Metropolitan line stations around St John’s Wood and Swiss Cottage.

Win tickets to The Good Ship’s July 4th “Born in the USA” covers night (see sidebar)

This Tuesday, local historians Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms (they wrote all the books) are giving a West End Lane Books talk about their new book Bloody Camden. The talk is in the library not the bookshop. In the meantime, catch up with their latest post of strange happenings in Kilburn.

The Jester Festival (July 6/7) needs volunteers – especially on the Sunday. Please contact if you’d like to be a part of West Hampstead’s very own village fete!

Tweet of the Week
Stiff competition this weel, but the winner by a nose was:

Was just abt to inform my yank punter,that nw2 was cricklewood more than it was west hampstead,but the £5 tip sorta silenced me 😉
— johnroney (@jr71) June 22, 2013

What have I missed since June 10th?

Yet more water disruption. A leak on Greencroft Gardens knocked out water for a few hundred homes on Thursday, and on Saturday there was a major leak on St Cuthbert’s Road. On July 2nd, Thames Water is sending a brave representative to the local Area Action Group meeting.

Fortune Green councillor Flick Rea was awarded an MBE in the birthday honours list. Congratulatory messages came from across Camden’s political spectrum. Read our profile of her from February.

Russell Eagling, one of Flick’s fellow Lib Dem councillors in Fortune Green, has announced he won’t be standing for re-election next year.

One of the Lego tube maps, captured by @gitfinger

The electrical store on West End Lane is morphing into Nibbana, which seems to a spa/natural remedies/nutrition and supplements operation.

West Hampstead is ever so slightly better qualified than Fortune Green, but in most respects, the two wards are almost identical.

West End Lane Books wants to know what your fantasy bookshelf would contain – and if it likes your suggestions, it’ll make it a reality in the shop.

Man of Steel is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week (we had a great #whampfilm event on its opening night at the Odeon). Full local listings here.

There was a shooting in Kilburn, in 1889.

Meanwhile, in 1955, The Spectator wrote a piece about the Irish in Kilburn suggesting that West End Lane was a far duller place than the High Road (still true!)

On Saturday, a small group of locals “walked the wards” as part of the Neighbourhood Development Forum engagement plans. We visited lots of spots I’m sure most of you don’t know about, and some – like Mill Lane Garden Centre – you might have forgotten about. Full report (with lots of photos) this week.

The larger Sainsbury’s in Kilburn is applying to extend its alcohol licence to midnight around Christmas and New Year.

Tweet of the Week

Czechoslovakia House in West Hampstead: still the best place to get a Budvar and schnitzel before a trip to Wembley
— Richard Bussy (@richbussy) June 15, 2013

What have I missed since June 3rd?

Developers lost their appeal against Camden’s rejection of a 27 unit proposal for Gondar Gardens.

What was the outcome of #whampforum? Full write-up and handy factsheet here.

View from the top of the student building on Blackburn Road
(via @WHampsteadNDF)

The O2 centre assured us that the fish in the tanks were fine and that the broken filter was fixed.

Paramount won a couple of prestigious estate agent awards.

You can now buy Oyster cards at the Thameslink station.

Plans for a waste recycling plant in Iverson Road have hit a hurdle.

Fancy a “cup of tea and a rant” with Glenda Jackson?

Old Bridge, the eastern European deli on Broadhurst Gardens held a closing down sale on Sunday.

Here’s a story about community, neighbourliness and NW6.

Siam Sanctuary, a Thai massage place, has opened where Sew was. It has a website and is on Twitter @SiamSanctuary.

@ZENW6 is trying to compile the definitive list of local hairdressers based on your opinions. Do tweet or mail her with your thoughts.

Behind the Candelabra is Film of the Week. Full local listings.

The Noahs Ark Hospice shop opening at 287 Finchley Road urgently needs volunteers. Call Amy on 020 8449 8877 for details

There’s a new [sponsored] Property of the Month feature on West Hampstead Life.

This Thursday, Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw will be signing his first novel at West End Lane Books.

If you fancy joining a local netball team for a social league then tweet @madamgg72

Robert Yates, who was found dead in the street two weeks ago, was a well-known Camden punk star.

Seems like Kilburn Grange Park is extremely popular with joggers – or is this case of misleading data?

Tweet of the Week

@whampstead A sodding classical quartet are rehearsing on SUNDAY MORNING in the flat above me! #theregoesmyliein #onlyinwesthampstead #damn!
— Matthew Darcy (@matthewdarcy7) June 9, 2013

What have I missed since May 27th?

The website for West Hampstead Square, the new development opposite the tube, went live as the marketing suite was assembled.

There was a tremendous turnout for the free outdoor screening of Back to the Future on Saturday night. More than 200 people brought their picnics and watched Michael J Fox navigate the 1950s.

Tim Sommer, the German teen who killed Douglas Hutchison last year, was sentenced. He will be detained in Broadmoor indefinitely and likely extradited to Germany where he is wanted in connection with a murder there.

Another Labour candidate, Indra Adnan, threw her hat into the ring for the Hampstead & Kilburn nomination.

The Black Lion in Kilburn held a wake on Saturday night as it switched off its draught taps in protest at the price it had to pay for the beer.

Police are looking for help in identifying the man who was hit by a train on Tuesday evening by West Hampstead Thameslink.

NW6 Film Club will be on June 9th. It’s a screening of the Globe Theatre’s production of Henry V and Film Clubbers receive a discount.

Byzantium is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

A woman was arrested for drink driving after a man died in a car crash in Kilburn. It’s the third fatality on the road in 18 months.

The police helicopter helped officers on the ground after a would-be burglar was disturbed around Sumatra Road on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a satnav was stolen from a car on Messina Avenue.

Locals can get a discount on preview performances of The Tricycle Theatre’s Bracken Moor (see top-right of the page for details).

I know you’ve all missed the roadworks on West End Lane but don’t panic, they’re scheduled again for Sunday June 9th.

Schnitzel (the new chicken and aubergine restaurant in West Hampstead) has a Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Tom’s been eating at Sirous.

Kirsty & Phil are planning to make another visit to West Hampstead.

A new hairdresser is on the brink of opening. Funmi, as it’s called, is a company specialising in natural hair extensions.

As the sun finally made an appearance, ZENW6 decided it was time for a pedicure.

We learned how much it costs to advertise inside the Overground station.

It was standing room only at West End Lane Books as I interviewed local author Leo Hollis about his book “Cities Are Good For You”. He’s not keen on conservation areas y’know!

People are getting concerned about the state of the water in the O2 centre’s aquariums. Apparently the filter is broken, but the fish are deemed to be ok!

Four giraffes went down West End Lane on Friday. They were heading for Abbey Road.

A planning application has been submitted to turn the empty shop next to Jumanji pets on Birchington Road into a restaurant.

West Hampstead Hockey Club is holding its first open day of the summer on Saturday June 8th at Preston Manor High School in Wembley. Contact Vicky Simister on .

Tweet of the Week

In a poncey bar in West Hampstead. There’s a long table of Watford fans eating tapas in silence. It’s like a surreal gentrified Last Supper.
— Duleep Allirajah (@DuleepOffside) May 27, 2013

What have I missed since May 20th?

Lib Dem worthy James King wrote about the closure of Kilburn’s Citizens Advice Bureau.

There was a great turnout for #whampforum as we filled the Den at the Alice House. The conversation was lively – a full report to follow.

Photo via @anthonymroberts

West Hampstead will get free Wifi – but not for a while yet.

There are some updates on forthcoming roadworks on West End Lane. 

Camden’s going to put a bin by the C11 bus stop on Canfield Gardens to stop nearby gardens getting littered.

Emmanuel School featured briefly on Channel 4’s Ben Earl: Trick Artist. Catch up on 4OD (starts 20’41” wade thru the ads).

The new owners of the LoveFood site will be operating an “independent, antipodean restaurant/cafe”. They “love West Hampstead”.

Last Saturday a man was found dead in Kingsgate Rd, police aren’t treating it as suspicious

Vertigo is NxNW6’s Film of the Wee. Full film listings here.

Tweet of the Week

Just tried to unlock my front door with a sandwich. Thank goodness it’s a Bank Holiday weekend.
— Elizabeth Jenner (@MissCellany) May 24, 2013

What have I missed since May 13th?

There’s a third name in the hat for the Labour nomination for Hampstead & Kilburn. Meanwhile, could Swiss Cottage ward councillor Don Williams be heading for Westminster (North)?

If you’ve never been to the (gents) toilet by West End Green, now you can see what you’ve been, er, missing (winner of oddest video of the week award).

There was yet another water outage on Tuesday evening. Thames Water is sending a representative of to the next local Area Action Group meeting. Flak jacket to be provided.

West Hampstead Square (as it will be called in 2015)
Photo via @Daniel_Percy

The local Neighbourhood Development Forum was officially recognised by Camden council. It also has a new logo.

At Thursday’s fractious Section 106 meeting, it seemed that it was agreed that Camden would put £50,000 towards moving the post office into St James’ Church.

The large development opposite the tube is to be known as West Hampstead Square (not West End Square, which had been mooted during the consultation phase). The marketing suite won’t open until September though the hoardings on the site should start going up soon.

Want to know more about the changes in West Hampstead? Don’t know what Section 106 is? Feel excluded from community meetings? Bored of political point scoring? Come to #whampforum on Tuesday May 21st and find out more about local developments, and how you can help shape the future of the area. Starts at 7.45pm at The Alice House. It’s for people who don’t like sitting in a cold community centre for two hours while other people rant about their pet peeves.

Tragus confirmed that it’s looking to re-lease the Me Love Sushi site rather than open one of its own brands there. Meanwhile, there’s a great collage of closed shops and restuarants to give you pause for thought.

Camden launched a public Wifi service, but West Hampstead won’t get online until Phase 3 at the end of the year.

Look! A (useful?) map of all the pubs in NW6 that are, that have been and that ever will be.

The Great Gatsby is @NxNW6‘s film of the week. Full listings here.

Congratulations to Jordan who won the Zipcar competition and Sultana who won the Balcony Gardener competition.

Read burger afficionado Sam’s review of the Alice House.

There’s been some surprise that the menu at new food outlet Schnitzel consists entirely of chicken and aubergine.

Guglee’s head chef has made it to the semi-finals of the Craft Guild of Chef’s National Chef of the Year competition.

West Hampstead WI is on the lookout for “local arts groups, darts groups, lonely hearts groups”.

Be excited, yours truly has got a stall at this year’s Jester Festival on the Sunday. Do come and say hi. The line-up of events for the festival is also taking shape.

Tweet of the Week

Man on the 139 bus spraying deodorant in his face. People like to live dangerously in #WHamp
— Nick Vose (@NickVose) May 18, 2013

What have I missed since May 6th?

ShakeTastic, Me Love Sushi, Picasso’s and Blue Daisy have all closed, while Minkies, Curled Leaf, Tiger Stores, a new sweet shop and Spice Tree all opened. What’s happening in West Hampstead?

There are plenty of changes afoot at the Thameslink station too.

Developers have submitted an alternative proposal for Midland Crescent. More on this later in the week.

Want to know more about changes to West Hampstead, share your ideas, and find out how you can actually have some impact? May 21st 7.45pm at The Alice House is #whampforum. It’s for people who don’t like sitting in a cold community centre for two hours while other people rant about their pet peeves. More details this week.

Photo via @arewenotben

What did we make of Ruchi when we went for #whampreview?

Lately has had a makeover of sorts.

Win a year’s Zipcar membership (worth £59) and £50 driving credit.

The main contenders for Labour’s candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn began to square up. Tulip Siddiq has Neil Kinnock in her corner, while Sally Gimson has her own list of supporters.

Meanwhile, Camden’s Conservatives have named Claire-Louise Leyland as their new leader, taking over from Andrew Mennear who will become deputy leader.

Asda was filming an advert in the Mill Lane area of West Hampstead on Saturday.

A flashmob descended on West Hampstead Mews to promote local designer Nicola Quilter’s skirts.

Star Trek Into Darkness is NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

Squatters took over Handrail House and held a rave.

Locals can get £6 off tickets for the Kenwood House Live by the Lake concerts. Just enter your address when you buy.

Scope had a Camden Town vs West Hampstead Apprentice-style competition.

A tree fell over on Dennington Park Road, though the only serious damage was to an estate agent sign.

Tweet of the Week

Just saw 3 schoolkids tell off a friend for littering. “It’s a nice area; pick it up” Only in #Whampstead
— James Coatsworth (@j_coatsworth) May 10, 2013

What have I missed since April 29th?

Demolition started at 187-199 West End Lane, and the strip of shops was knocked down on Saturday morning. The shops themselves will become a marketing suite for the next two years, while the site overall is becoming, as most of you know, a large residential development with some public space and some retail. The best summary article is here, though scrolling through these pages will give you the full story.

The remains of Café Bon via @cyberdonkey

A planning application also went in for the first of what may well be many material changes to the 187-199 development. This one seems to flatten the facade of the buildings, more details next week.

The Jubilee Line is going to close for more weekends. You can read the basic story from the BBC  or the really detailed story. Eithe way it’s annoying.

A German teenager pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Douglas Hutchison aka Professor Whitestick in West Hampstead last year. He will be sentenced later this month, and is also wanted in Germany in connection with another murder.

There was a robbery on Thursday night at Sainsbury’s on West End Lane (perhaps coincidentally, there was one at the Salusbury Road branch in Queens Park on Tuesday too).

A proposed 138-room student development by the O2 centre has run into a major problem.

There were several reports of people rifling through rubbish bags “in a suspicious manner”. A reminder to shred anything that could be used for identity theft.

If St James’s Church is going to take over the post office, it needs £50,000 from Camden council in Section 106 money. An investigation by the Ham & High suggests the council has a S.106 surplus in excess of £20 million.

On May 23rd an eminent geologist will be talking about the impact of basement excavations on groundwater (in Pond Street).

The deadline to design a logo for the local development forum has been extended to May 13th.

The Standard announced what was common knowledge locally – Fiona Millar won’t stand as Labour’s Hampstead & Kilburn candidate

Kilburn Grange celebrated it’s 100th anniversary and here’s how it looked in 1925.

From July 2011 to March 2013, borrowers ran up unpaid library fines at West Hampstead of £3,950.43.

Blue Daisy announced the expected closure of its West End Lane store.

The Look of Love is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week (and was Sunday night’s NW6 Film Club screening). Full local listings here.

Google Street View has gone inside (!) the Black Lion on Kilburn High Road.

Godzilla marched on Hampstead on Saturday afternoon. It was art y’know.

Social, the clothing store on West End Lane, is on Twitter @SocialUpLondon.

Tuesday was the 4th anniversary of the @WHampstead twitter account (and the Dutch queen abdicated and it was someone’s birthday, but the main event was #whampday).

Coming up
May
7th (&14th) CV & job seekers skills training workshop at West Hampstead Womens Centre 020 7328 7389 for details
14th: Swiss Cottage ward Safer Neighbourhoods meeting 7pm Crossfield Centre
22nd: Swiss Cottage ward Area Action Group 7pm Crossfield Centre
30th: WEL Books event with me talking to Cities Are Good For You author Leo Hollis

Tweet of the Week
Some strong contenders this week, but Jen wins the accolade

There’s man on Finchley Rd honking his horn at 4 cars in front to move. The 4 cars are parked. The man is still honking. 2 mins have past.
— Jen (@MissiMartinez) May 3, 2013

What have I missed since April 22nd?

The public meeting about Kilburn High Road raised lots of issues, but proposed few answers.

Elections must be rolling around again – West Hampstead Conservatives reopened its Twitter account after a three-year gap, it also announced its six candidates for the council elections in 2014 for Fortune Green and West Hampstead wards (all young men) and, on Saturday, both the Tories and Labour had stalls opposite each other on West End Lane. Labour also launched a local Twitter account.

Minster Rd blossom via @ArshiLarshi

The Neighbourhood Development Forum needs a logo – can you help?

ZENW6 stepped up to the plate to try Movers & Shapers.

A new waiting room is being built on Platform 1 of the Thameslink station.

The premises last occupied by Grilled O Fried is apparently “under offer”.

Was it Love? Tom’s Diner went to Me Love Sushi.

Whampreview at Ruchi was a success – write-up to come this week.

Babur Empire on Mill Lane is reopening as Spice Tree, and is on Twitter @officialspicetr.

Schnitzel, which has replaced Pita up by David’s Deli, has gone for a bold orange & black colour scheme.

There’s a spring jazz festival happening at La Brocca.

The next NW6 Film Club screening will be The Look of Love on May 5th.

Good Vibrations is NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

Coming up
May
4th: Dawn Chorus walk @ Fortune Green
5th: NW6 Film Club “The Look of Love” @ Tricycle Cinema
30th: WEL Books event with me talking to Cities Are Good For You author Leo Hollis

Tweet of the Week

The photocopier at my local Post Office really knows how to tell it like it is. @whampstead twitter.com/KatyaHerman/st…
— Katya Herman (@KatyaHerman) April 25, 2013

What have I missed since April 15th?

Demolition signs are up on 187-199 West End Lane. At least those shops won’t stand empty for too long!

The discount shop on the corner of Kilburn High Road and Gascony Avenue submitted a revised plan to convert into a fast-food outlet after the initial plan was rejected largely for “odour reasons”.

Meanwhile, an application has been submitted to turn the empty Holland & Barrett on Kilburn High Road/Belsize Road into a café.

If you can come up with a better name for Camden CAMHS you can win an iPod. First you’ll need to know what CAMHS is.

How do we solve a problem like the High Road? A public meeting discussed just this – full report this week.

Evil Dead is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Full local listings are available here, and the next NW6 Film Club screening will be The Look of Love on May 5th.

Coming up
April
22nd: WH & FG NDF meeting 7.30pm St James’ Church
23rd: Library services drop-in surgery 4-6pm @ WH Library
25th: Whampreview @ Ruchi
May
5th: NW6 Film Club “The Look of Love” @ Tricycle Cinema

Tweet of the Week

“This is Finchley Road; change for the Metropolitan Line” Why can’t the Metropolitan Line just accept me as I am?
— Amy Butterworth (@butterworthamy) April 17, 2013

What have I missed since April 8th?

Local MP Glenda Jackson made waves with her strident attack on Thatcherism in the House of Commons.

Pastry and ice cream emporium Chez Chantal has apparently closed for good. Meanwhile the word is that LoveFood’s next incarnation will be as a café in the day and winebar at night.

@GayaNoble‘s was my favourite pic of this week’s double rainbow

A private West Hampstead nursery spent £300,000 on a refit to accommodate the areas “baby boom”.

Time Out ran a short piece on coffee in West Hampstead, in which it managed to confuse Loft and Wired and got a typo in Loft’s address. Good work.

Meanwhile a piece in The Standard suggested that West Hampstead was “an area of hidden value waiting to be unlocked”, while pushing the £1.5 million penthouses in the Mill Apartments.

West End Lane was closed for the first part of the week as Thames Water carried out another set of pipe then road repairs.

Apparently a topless woman was being photographed reading a paper outside the tube on Tuesday.

The Place Beyond The Pines is NxNW6‘s Film of the Week – full local listings here.

Simon Marcus, Tory PPC for Hampstead & Kilburn, has joined Twitter.

Local newspaper the Camden New Journal is up for a Regional Press Award as is its star writer Richard Osley.

Coming up
April
15th: W.Hampstead Business Assoc. social @ The Black Lion 6.30-8.30pm
17th: Kilburn AAG Gaumont State, 7-9pm
22nd: WH & FG NDF meeting 7.30pm St James’ Church
25th: Whampreview @ Ruchi

Tweet of the Week
After last week’s dearth of good tweets, #whampers were back on form this week

Finchley Rd fruit man shouted something about his pears being cheap then hugged me today. Up the hill there is no hugging.
— Hampstead Cat (@thehampsteadcat) April 10, 2013

What have I missed since April 1st?

A local binman stopped a potentially bad accident when he moved his lorry to block a runaway post office van.

The Neighbourhood Development Forum proposal received 125 responses, with only five opposed.

Photo via @bruminthecity

Property News looked at the local impact of government schemes to stimulate the housing market,

Another burst water pipe knocked out water supplies for some residents on Saturday and led to road closures on Sunday.

Ideas for revitalising Kilburn High Road will be discussed at a joint Camden/Brent public meeting on April 17th.

There’s a West Hampstead Business Association social event on April 15th (6.30-8.30 at The Black Lion).

Aldi opened its doors in Kilburn.

The Mill Lane Open Space is now housing newts and frogs.

Trance is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week, full local cinema listings here.

Anyone interested in having a stall at the Jester Festival on 6th/7th of July should apply by e mail to . Stall spaces sell out very quickly and numbers are limited.

Coming up
April
15th: W.Hampstead Business Assoc. social @ The Black Lion 6.30-8.30pm
17th: Kilburn AAG Gaumont State, 7-9pm
22nd: WH & FG NDF meeting 7.30pm St James’ Church
25th: Whampreview (details tbd)

Tweet of the Week
Nothing tickled my fancy this week sadly

What have I missed since March 25th?

West Hampstead police station will stay open, but the front counter will close. The Safer Neighbourbood Team base on West End Lane will host the contact point, which will be open for two hour sessions midweek and on a Saturday (the report says one-hour sessions, but the police have said they don’t feel that’s enough).

The 11th whampgather was another great success (even if the music wasn’t quite what we’d all expected) – more than 150 people turned up and we raised more than £580 in the raffle, which will go a long way towards funding a term of The Winch’s drama programme.

Spring in Fortune Green (via @sergiofeldmann)

A sign in LoveFood says it’s being refurbed, but its former chef said that it had closed due to the high business rates. Secret Boutique will still be there apparently.

Peppercorns re-opened at 260 West End Lane while the entrance to the 187-199 West End Lane site was sealed off so demolition of those strip of shops may be starting soon.

The owners of Klooks Kleek – the music venue that used to operate above The Railway – had a reunion (read more about local musical history).

There are two adult cycle training sessions at Sidings Community Centre in April.

Camden rejected Aldi’s application to serve alcohol from 7am in its new Kilburn High Road store.

The next NW6 film club screening will be Danny Boyle’s Trance on April 7th. In The House is NxNW6’s Film of the Week

A Fortune Green woman who ran brothels and was convicted of money laundering has been asked to pay a £1.3m fine if she wants to stay out of jail.

North-west London was ranked Britain’s 7th unhappiest place to live.

Sean Connery used to live in both Kilburn and West Hampstead.

Coming up
April
5th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane
7th: NW6 Film Club, Tricycle, Trance
22nd: WH & FG NDF meeting 7.30pm St James’ Church

Tweet of the Week

‘All of these hairdressers are such a waste of space.’ Overheard in W. Hampstead, London this afternoon. The man was bald.
— Mairéad Roche (@Merazad) March 29, 2013

What have I missed since March 18th?

There have been 150 collisions on Kilburn High Road in the past three years, so what’s being done about it?

There was a collision on Fortune Green Road by the junction with Mill Lane when a driver who appeared to witnesses to be drunk apparently drove into some parked cars. No-one was injured and people on the scene say the driver tried to run away.

Around 100 people turned up to hear the West Hampstead Medical Centre’s updates on changes to the admission system and other changes to practice management.

It snowed (photo via @RicksterLondon)

Aldi’s new branch on Kilburn High Road has applied for an alcohol licence starting at 7am. Not everyone’s enamoured of the idea.

This Saturday there’s a London Walks guided walk of West Hampstead, it starts at 2.30pm from the tube station and ends up (as so many of us do) in the cemetery. It’s £9 for adults.

Whampgather is this Thursday. It’s sold out, but if you’d like to come and haven’t got a ticket then keep your eyes peeled on Wednesday and Thursday as there may be late-availability tickets, depending on cancellations. If you are coming, see you at The Alliance!

Health food store Peppercorns reopens on Tuesday at 260 West End Lane with 10% off everything for the first two days.

The Thameslink station was commended in the Civic Trust Awards.

The Wet Fish Cafe is getting a little frustrated with no-shows (and I know one or two other restaurants have been saying the same).

Compliance is NxNW6’s film of the week. Full listings here (and don’t forget #nw6filmclub on April 7).

If you’ve got a spare £29 knocking around and you want a hug, then there’s a cuddle workshop (yes, really) in West Hampstead in late April.

Coming up
March
28th: Whampgather XI
April
5th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane
7th: NW6 Film Club, Tricycle, film tbd
22nd: WH & FG NDF meeting 7.30pm St James’ Church

Tweet(s) of the Week
Couldn’t decide between these two, so it’s a tie this week:

I see Uranus on kilburn high road has changed its name to Oranos, probably for the best…
— Matt (@Maccles77) March 24, 2013

Apparently a woman is giving birth at Willesden Junction Overground station. What a way to be welcomed into the world.
— Blake Connolly (@blakeconnolly) March 22, 2013

What have I missed since March 11th?

A man shot himself in the leg, in the toilets of the Golden Egg on Kilburn High Road.

Labour finally recommended an all-woman shortlist for its Hampstead & Kilburn candidate to replace Glenda Jackson leaving local councillor Mike Katz disappointed.

Photo via @dannymcg

Games Exchange on Broadhurst Gardens closed a couple of weeks ago after the bailiffs were called in. Could it be the new location for coffee shop Wired?

Conservative PPC Simon Marcus raised hopes that West Hampstead police station might stay open in some form, however, local councillors wrote that the entire situation is immensely confused.

West Hampstead’s branch of Nando’s featured prominently in this advert article in the Telegraph.

The full planning application was submitted for a 138-bedroom student block next to the O2 centre on Finchley Road.

The Gondar Gardens appeal saga moves closer to its final phase.

West Hampstead got a double-page spread in local glossy magazine Fabric.

The local twitterati tried to come up with the perfect collective noun for estate agents.

A new addition to the Hampstead & Kilburn Now & Then Flickr page shows a much bigger change in the buildings than usual.

The pavement outside the Alice House is being widened.

The Paperboy was NxNW6’s film of the week. Full local listings here.

What was the final verdict on Stoker by NW6 Film Club members? (next film club night April 7)

What did we all make of Hana at the last whampreview?

Tom’s Diner checked out the fish & chips at The Black Lion.

For a round-up of local ghost stories, check out the Kilburn History blog.

There are, as I write, two tickets left for whampgather on March 28th. Everyone there who buys a raffle ticket will also get an easter egg.

If a bus terminates early, you CAN get a transfer ticket.

There’s a public meeting on Tuesday for patients of the West Hampstead medical centre.

Camden’s changing the way it manages parking bay suspensions [pdf].

Coming Up
March
19th: WH Medical Centre public meeting 7.30pm at library
21st: Kilburn Festival AGM 7.30pm at Kingsgate Community Centre
28th: Whampgather XI
April
5th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane
22nd: WH & FG NDF meeting 7.30pm St James’ Church

Tweet of the Week

Fascinating insight into #WestHampsteadMan: #MrTickle outselling all other #MrMen cards 2 to 1 here!
— West End Lane Books (@WELBooks) March 14, 2013

What have I missed since March 4th?

It looks like Minkies might finally be opening at the Overground station.

In Property News, are relaxed planning regulations the worst of all worlds?

Whampgather XI tickets went on sale for the March 28th event – I’ve allocated more this time, and there are still a handful left.

The Kilburn History website dug up a story of forged money from the 1930s.

Here’s an enjoyable very short film about the Abbey Road zebra crossing.

On Thursday a man died after being hit by a train at Kilburn Park station

Camden agreed to “pause” the development of Dynham Road after residents objected in a council meeting.

Side Effects in NxNW6’s film of the week. Full local listings here. Meanwhile, here’s what NW6 Film Club thought of Stoker.

There’s a new “NCT Mummy & Me group” every Monday 1-3pm at The Black Lion, West End Lane for parents, babies, and parents-to-be.

Coming up
March
16th: Camden Arts Centre’s Big Bamboozle
21st: Kilburn Festival AGM 7.30pm at Kingsgate Community Centre
28th: Whampgather XI
April
5th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since Feb 25th

A meeting about where developers’ community contributions should go produced more heat than light.

There was a bomb scare at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre on Thursday that turned out to be a hoax.

Sunset over Thameslink
via @ksh73

Peppecorns has launched a website, and is definitely moving to 260 West End Lane.

Ruchi – the best traditional curry house in the area in my view – also has a new website.

West End Lane Books has made the shortlist for the independent bookseller of the year.

The Wet Fish Café was used as a film set for “Dead Love”, an indie horror film.

South Hampstead roadworks are set to continue for a couple more weeks.

There’s a public meeting on March 7th about the proposed closure of West Hampstead police station.

Stoker is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week and the second NW6 Film Club screening. Full local cinema listings here.

Did you know about local councillor Flick Rea’s RADA training?

In the first of a new series introducing the local residents associations, we looked at Fordwych RA.

Hampstead & Kilburn was not on Labour’s initial list of London constituencies with all-women shortlist.

The Belsize fire station closure looks to be on ice for the time being.

Here’s a tube geek photo taken in 1985.

The Institute in Kilburn is participating in National Learn to Play Day on March 16th.

Coming up
March
4th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane
7th: Public meeting on police station closure, Library 6.30pm
28th: Whampgather XI
April
5th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since February 18th?

Emily Frith stood down as the Lib Dem’s parliamentary candidate just a month after being selected. The local Tories dived in for the kill, while Emily herself explained that the new position she’s taken is her “dream job”

Simon Marcus, the Conservative PPC, told me how he’s trying to ensure a police presence is retained in West Hampstead and Hampstead

A week of lovely sunsets. This one via @_litchic

West End Lane finally reopened on Monday evening after almost a week-long closure. Then there were problems at Cleve Road as well.

A succession of burst pipes should mean West Hampstead moves up Thames Water’s upgrade priority list. Hopefully everyone involved can learn some lessons from this latest debacle.

Camden launched its consultation on introducing a 20 mph zone across the borough. It has sparked plenty of debate.

Camden is also consulting on introducing cafés in some parks, including Fortune Green, Maygrove Peace Park and Kilburn Grange.

Work began on excavating an air raid shelter on Fortune Green.

There was a public meeting about how Section 106 money is distributed in the area. There was a strong view that more transparency was needed. Full write-up this week.

I went to see what happens to all the recycling we put in our green boxes. Full write-up next week.

NW6 film club returns next Sunday (3rd) at the Tricycle and the film is Stoker. More details during the week.

The Road: A Story of Life and Death is NxNW6’s film of the week (it’s partly filmed in Kilburn). Full cinema listings also available.

West Hampstead Overground now has Wifi via The Cloud as a permanent feature.

First Capital Connect came bottom of a survey of rail passengers’ satisfaction levels.

Tom’s Diner checked out some local breakfasts.

Look out next week for the write-up of this Thursday’s Whampreview at Hana.

Got something you want some advice on – or maybe need a new perspective? Open Space is a new idea coming to West Hampstead.

West Hampstead Women’s Centre is looking for some volunteers to help with its community garden.

Next Sunday, there’s a charity spinathon at the Virgin Active Cricklewood in aid of the MS Society.

Brent council approved the controversial planning application to redevelop Willesden Green library.

See what West Hampstead looks like from the top of the BT Tower.

Coming up
February
25th: NDF meeting 7.30pm (venue tbc)
March
3rd: NW6 Film Club: Stoker
4th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane
4th: Fordwych RA meeting, Davina House, 7.30pm
28th: Whampgather XI
April
5th: West Hampstead SNT drop-in surgery, SNT base West End Lane

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since February 11th?

On Tuesday evening, a large water pipe burst on West End Lane opposite the Bridge Cafe. Residents south of the tube station lost water or had low water pressure for almost 24 hours. Fixing the leak meant closing West End Lane, which remained closed for the rest of the week, causing enormous disruption to bus services, and clogging up surrounding roads.

This was followed by a burst pipe on Kingdon Road, another on West End Lane at the junction with Cleve Road , what looked like more problems outside Hidden Treasure, and another burst pipe on Mill Lane. Lets hope Camden is taking this up with Thames Water.

On the same day the original leak was being fixed, chemicals emanating from the back of a fridge in Cholmley Gardens brought the fire brigade out as the main leak was being fixed.

To add to the end-of-the-world feeling, an overhead cable came down around Radlett, which played havoc with First Capital Connect’s Thameslink services.

After months of silence on the Ballymore development at 187-199 West End Lane, it looks like construction will start in the summer. In the meantime, the parade of shops there is to be turned into a marketing suite for the development. Peppercorns is apparently moving into the site where the Chinese Herbal Clinic is at 260 West End Lane.

There are fears the money allocated for a lift at the Overground station could be taken away if work cannot be started by the agreed time.

Blue Daisy is closing its West Hampstead branch in the foreseeable future. New retailers wanted!

CRASH – the residents association for South Hampstead had all but evaporated, but it’s back with a new website.

The Daily Mail appeared to break the news to local councillors that the post office at Swiss Cottage was on a list earmarked for closure.

Monday’s Area Action Group meeting for West Hampstead & Fortune Green wards covered flood risk (appropriately for a week of burst water mains), policing, libraries and the Neighbourhood Development Forum.

Remember we found from the census that there was just one heavy metal worshipper in West Hampstead. Now, we know who he is!

This is 40 is NxNW6’s film of the week. We’ve tried a new style of local film listings this week – let us know what you think.

Simon Marcus, Conservative PPC for Hampstead & Kilburn, got his campaign rolling with the help of party chairman Grant Shapps. Meanwhile, it looks increasingly likely that Labour will draw up an all-women shortlist for candidates to replace Glenda Jackson.

Coming up
February
21st: Whampreview @ Hana SOLD OUT
21st: WHAT public meeting on local spending
25th: NDF meeting 7.30pm (venue tbc)
March
3rd: NW6 Film Club (details tbd)
28th: Whampgather XI

Tweet of the Week

@whampstead WEL road works added £4 to my cab fair last night. The cost of a bottle of Sainsbury’s Montepulciano or Pinot Noir.
— Naomii Chaplain (@NaomiiMay) February 16, 2013

What have I missed since February 4th?

Could the post office move into the church? Negotiations are already well advanced.

The development of 63-65 Maygrove Road was given a conditional green light.

Here’s your chance to improve Kilburn Grange Park.

Property News: the market’s up, but does the money property owners make mean that no-one cares about fees?

More census data was released; now we can find the heavy metal worshipper.

The West Hampstead & Fortune Green Neighbourhood Development Forum entered its first consultation stage.

Byron Hamburgers opened in the O2 centre – I went to roadtest it on its first day.@e

Old Bridge – the eastern European deli/grocers on Broadhurst Gardens – is applying for an alcohol licence to offer “fine Croatian wines and premium Czech beer”. Meanwhile, the Black Lion on West End Lane is applying for a 1am licence on Fridays & Saturdays.

Glenda Jackson MP voted in favour of gay marriage, while Sarah Teather MP voted against. Teather explained why.

The first ever #whampart night was a great success – thanks to Camden Arts Centre for the guided tour.

West End Lane is being resurfaced. Classic “end of the budget year” stuff from Camden.

There are plenty of Valentine’s Day film screenings this week, including Casablanca. Check out the full local listings.

Camden police has a new borough commander.

The Good Ship hosted the launch of local author Robert Hudson’s latest book, Dazzle.

Diamond Geezer’s blog took a closer look at Kilburn Park tube station.

Vivi Nails on Broadwell Parade is being replaced by Be Lush, which opened Sunday.

This Sunday was also the 125th anniversary of St James Church, while Saturday was the first anniversary of Guglee’s West Hampstead branch.

Coming up
February
11th: Area Action Group, synagogue hall, Dennington Pk Rd
12th: Swiss Cottage police public meeting
13th & 14th Kilburn Grange Park improvements public sessions
21st: Whampreview @ Hana SOLD OUT
21st: WHAT public meeting on local spending
25th: NDF meeting 7.30pm (venue tbc)
March
3rd: NW6 Film Club (details tbd)
28th: Whampgather XI

Tweet of the Week
We haven’t had a crazy Kilburn TOTW in a while. So here’s a classic of the genre

Man getting arrested on Kilburn High Rd with his pants round his ankles swaying screaming my my my Delilah… Why did I ever leave Kilburn?”
— Emma Boom (@emmazentner) February 5, 2013

What have I missed since January 28th?

Yet another power cut hit the area. If you want to find out what’s being done to prevent these very frequent outages, call UK Power Networks’ customer relations team on 0800 028 4587

Local Conservatives elected Simon Marcus as their candidate for the next general election.

At a meeting about local transport the same night, there was support for Camden’s proposed 20mph limit.

One person enters West Hamsptead tube station every second during the peak of rush hour.

How is Camden doing in reaching the objectives of the Place Plan? I give a mid-term report.

Aldi, opening on Kilburn High Road this spring, is applying to sell alcohol from 7am-11pm.

The population of West Hampstead (as commonly understood) was 33,751 at the 2011 census.

The long-closed Bon Express, near the corner of Broadhurst Gardens and West End Lane, is opening as Pizzeria Naila (also serving “shawarma, subs, coffee”)

Swiss Cottage book group has spaces for new members – it meets the last Thursday of the month.

Silver Linings Playbook is the Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

What did NW6 Film Club make of Zero Dark Thirty last Sunday?

Artist Albert de Belleroche is the subject of the latest Kilburn History blogpost.

Coming up
February
6th: Whampart FULLY BOOKED
12th: Swiss Cottage police public meeting
21st: WHAT public meeting on local spending
March
3rd: NW6 Film Club (details tbd)
28th: Whampgather XI

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since January 21st?

Travel carnage last Monday meant this was the queue for the tube station.

The snow hung around, creating plenty of photo opportunities.

There was a double shooting in Kilburn.

Local councillors are concerned over Inglewood Road sell-off.

Interested in the Abbey estate regeneration. There’s an exhibition this week with more details.

The Kilburn History Blog had a tale of two safeblowers, while Richard Osley dug up the West Hampstead connection to HMV.

A car performed a spectacular parking manoeuvre on Dennington Park Road on Saturday.

We gave our verdict on Mill Lane Bistro after the previous week’s whampreview.

Zero Dark Thirty is NxNW6‘s film of the week. It was also the first film of NW6 Film Club this Sunday, which more than 20 people came to. Thanks all for coming. The next one should be the first weekend in March.

Learn more about what The Jewish Cultural Centre on Finchley Road will offer.

A van caught fire on Fortune Green Road, and was a write-off.

The confusing pedestrian crossing lights by the tube station were finally fixed.

Whampbooks was a great success – biggest turnout yet, despite the cold. Thanks to all who came. I’m sure there’ll be another!

Read about the WI in West Hampstead.

A man was hurt in a collision with a lorry on Broadhurst Gardens.

Here’s what Wagamama in the O2 centre will look like – “terrace dining” don’t y’know (aka “smokers’ area).

As time runs out for the businesses at 187-199 West End Lane, they’re finding new premises. AIT computers moves to 127 West End Lane for free call out service/collection and delivery, while M.L.Estates heads to 62 Mill Lane.

Places for whampart on Feb 6th went faster than a Rothko at Sothebys

Tom was confused by smoked salmon at La Brocca

Glenda Jackson finally confirmed the news that actually broke here almost three years ago – she will not stand for re-election.

Hampstead Cricket Club winter nets start in just under three weeks.

Coming up
January
28th: WH & FG NDF meeting @ Sidings 7.30pm
30th: Conservative PPC primary
30th: WHAT AGM & transport meeting
February
6th: Whampart FULLY BOOKED
12th: Swiss Cottage police public meeting
March
28th: Whampgather XI

Tweet of the Week
There were two “crime” contenders for Tweet of the Week this week, but this one shaded it.

What have I missed since January 14th?

The Lib Dems announced Emily Frith as their Hampstead & Kilburn parliamentary candidate for the next general election.

Greene & Co. revealed its new fishtank office on West End Lane.

NW6 Film Club starts on Jan 27th with Zero Dark Thirty at the Tricycle

Django Unchained is NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

WHAT hosts a public meeting about transport on Jan 30th.

Ben Brooks-Dutton, whose wife died in the West End Lane crash, was on the BBC Breakfast sofa talking about his “Life as a Widower” blog.

If you want to contribute for a plaque to commemorate Gerry Anderson you can.

Camden is consulting on mental heath day opportunities provision.

West Hampstead Life finally has a proper Facebook page – do go and like it, if you’re into that sort of thing

We had a great night at the Mill Lane Bistro for whampreview.

Coming Up
January
22nd: Whampbooks @ West End Lane Books
23rd: Kilburn ward AAGYa
24th: Swiss Cottage police drop-in surgery
27th: NW6 Film Club at The Tricycle
30th: Conservative PPC primary
30th: WHAT AGM & transport meeting
February
6th: Whampart at Camden Arts Centre
12th: Swiss Cottage police public meeting
March
28th: Whampgather XI

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since January 7th?

Power cuts continued at the start of the week, and there’s snow forecast for Monday. Yes, it’s January in the 1970s.

West Hampstead’s favourite (ok, only) plastic chef made an apperance in Shit London

A landlady on Iverson Road has an asbo – but is that the best way to control rogue landlords?

A local teenager received a five year sentence for rape

There was confirmation of plans to close West Hampstead police station.

Closure of Belsize fire station, meanwhile, means response times in Camden will rise by more than anywhere else.

It’s been two months since the fatal West End Lane crash. How are Amy & Ben doing?

Still got that New Year’s Resolution? We do a round-up of all the local gyms.

BoConcept opened in the O2 centre, but Rossopomodoro won’t be open until November!

Learn more about Thunderbirds’ creator Gerry Anderson’s West Hampstead upbringing.

The tube turned 150 and the BBC showed a clip of West Hampstead in its footage.

Les Misérables is NxNW6’s Film of the Week – details of the first #nw6filmclub evening were also released.

There are also full details of #whampbooks on Jan 22nd on the website.

The Jester Festival is looking for helpers, artists and musicians.

Coming up

  • Whampbooks on the 22nd (see above)
  • The Kilburn ward Area Action Group meeting is on the 23rd- a chance to meet your councillors and hear the latest news from the area
  • The Swiss Cottage police team will holding a public access/drop in surgery on the 24th from 2 to 3pm at Swiss Cottage Leisure centre
  • Feb 6th is our first #whampart event at Camden Arts Centre (details soon)
  • March 28th Whampgather XI #fullvolume

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since New Year’s Eve?

Happy New Year everyone 

Everyone’s first day back at work on Wednesday was heralded by an amazing sunrise

TfL is investing £300,000 in improvements to Kilburn High Road, at least partly to address safety concerns.

The O2 centre is getting set to welcome a host of new tenants.

On the offchance that you haven’t got rid of your Christmas tree yet, here’s all the info.

Charles Chilton, author, radio producer and West Hampstead resident, died aged 95.

The Tweet of the Year 2012 award was won by @misshkwilson.

Sumatra Road could get new speedbumps, but some locals want it made a one-way street instead.

Here’s a great photo of an old fire engine and what looks like a very early Indian restaurant on West End Lane.

A blown fuse in the electricity substation by La Smorfia knocked out power on Sunday night for many people in West Hampstead.

Twenty eight women from the West Hampstead Women’s Centre Somali women’s group received certificates for completing their NVQ level 2 and 3 in Health and Social Care.

Our Property News pundit sticks his neck out on where house prices will end up at the end of the year

Need advice from MP Glenda Jackson? Her surgery times for the first six months of 2013 are available.

The Impossible is NxNW6’s film of the week – also see the full local listings.

Virgin Media has said that NW6’s broadband problems will be fixed by January 10th. It’s made similar promises before.

An aerial photography van was spotted around the streets of West Hampstead

Coming up
Put January 22nd in your diaries for the next #whampbooks event at West End Lane Books.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since Christmas Eve?

Well, you missed Christmas for one thing. I thought I’d sneak in one last weekly round-up before the New Year.

Gerry Anderson died. The creator of Thunderbirds grew up in West Hampstead and Kilburn. There’s talk of a plaque already.

On Christmas Day, Camden had to take down the disused footbridge that links the Abbey estate across the railway lines.

Are the new Legible London street signs a good thing or a waste of money?

A murder investigation was launched in Kilburn after a man was found dead in a flat.

Apparently some people don’t realise Sherriff Road is one-way. The council is going to adjust a few signs and add road markings to clarify.

Jack Reacher is NxW6’s Film of the Week.

ZENW6 reviewed Gloves Boxing Club.

Tom got festive at Spiga.

Votes are pouring in for Tweet of the Year – make sure you vote if you haven’t already.

Here’s a full review of all the local news this year – some good, some sad, some funny and some downright odd.

And here are the ten most-read stories.

And finally – a round-up of the events we’ve held over the past 12 months.

Whampreview is back – you’ve got a couple of days left to put your name in the hat for January 17th at Mill Lane Bistro.

Coming up
New Year’s Eve – lots of activity in West Hampstead on Monday night.

Tweet of the Week
In honour of the Kilburn Kid’s knighthood (you knew it had to crop up somewhere)

2012 review: What have I missed since Jan 1st

Did someone say bandwagon?

Like any publication worth its salt, this website is not immune to the allure of churning out a review of the past 12 months. So here are the crime-fighting vicars and the organic cauliflowers that made up 2012 for West Hampstead.

First, the stories you may have missed, then a fuller round-up of the bigger news of the year.

January: During a siege far away in Child’s Hill, it was necessary to explain to some in West Hampstead how helicopters work. The Kings Troop left their barracks in St John’s Wood, which meant no more parades up West End Lane. Police carried out a sting operation to rescue a kidnapped dog held to ransom.

February: West Hampstead’s crime fighting vicar Andrew Cain got plenty of attention from the press after he apprehended a thief. A man was evicted after building a microlight and a boat in his flat. Virgin broadband customers were told problems would be sorted out by mid-March.

March: We began the Herculean task of testing all the Sunday lunches in the neighbourhood.

April: Vince Power shelved his ambitious (did someone say ridiculous?) plans for a festival in Kilburn Grange park that would have lasted throughout the Olympics. The Netherwood Day Centre received another – more lasting – reprieve from council cuts.

May: We launched NxNW6 for local film listings. Virgin broadband customers were told problems would be sorted out by mid-September. Luton fans caused chaos at the Thameslink station.

June: Twitter power got a potentially dangerous hole in a railway fence fixed very quickly. It really isn’t just about Stephen Fry and photos of breakfasts y’know.

July: Kilburn High Road flooded spectacularly. There was the first of two outdoor film screenings on Fortune Green. Some residents complained about having to look where they were driving. A man bought a bag for £20 in a West End Lane charity shop that was worth a small fortune.

August: Local celeb Robert Webb got miffed when a fan told him via Twitter that he’d spotted him in the pub.

September: The Met Line ran its last old train. George Orwell’s son read from his father’s Bookshop Memories essay in West End Lane Books. Developers offered a free Mini if people bought one of the Mill Apartments on an open day. Virgin broadband customers were told… well, you get the idea.

October: The Blackburn Road student building had its topping out ceremony. Camden proposed a 20mph blanket speed limit.

November: The tenth whampgather set new records for attendance and money raised. We learned the West End Lane post office will close, but only when new (co-located) premises have been found.

December: We launched ZENW6 for health & fitness news and reviews, and Property News. The third Christmas market was a success once again. We learned there were 704 Jedis in Camden (but only 9 Scientologists)

Bet you didn’t remember all that?

But what about the issues you did remember?

In the market for produce?
News that we might get a market first emerged in April. Back then we were told that the Iverson Road site would not be big enough for an accredited farmers’ market. Readers were asked to say what sort of market they’d like to see instead. The results were overwhelmingly in favour of a food market.

Good time then for Hampstead Butcher & Providores to announce its plans to open in West Hampstead. After two years of tweeters clamouring for a butcher, it seemed as if their prayers had been answered. A month later, we learned that the butcher had “postponed” its decision to move to the area. We’re still waiting.

In June, we discovered that London Farmers’ Market – the group that runs multiple markets in the city, including the large one in Queens Park – was in negotiation with Network Rail and that a proper farmers’ market was looking likely. It was not until August, and a false start, that we finally had a firm opening date for the farmers’ market and a cow to prove it. The cow stood next to a short-lived hot dog stand and Mr Whippy van.

Finally, on September 22nd, while I was fast asleep in a hotel in Denver, Colorado, the market opened. There was joy, there was laughter, there were some quite expensive vegetables. I awoke to a deluge of tweets about it. It has since been described by several people (not all of whom are Cllr Risso-Gill) as being “the best thing to happen in West Hampstead for years.”

After trading for a couple of months (and having an amazing run of luck with the weather), the market required planning permission. An overwhelming 284 people wrote to the council in favour of the market, with just four objections. No surprise then that permission was granted.

February: the much-loved (but too seldom-frequented) Rotisserie on Fortune Green closed, while on West End Lane, Guglee opened after revamping the short-lived Costello’s.
March: Sushi Kou opened in the Rotisserie’s spot.
April: Walnut and Bon Express – at the opposite ends of both West End Lane and the culinary spectrum – both shut their doors. The latter remains empty. Karahi Master, which had been refused a late licence, also closed. Kebab options in West Hampstead were dwindling fast. Meanwhile, the Lion became the Black Lion (again) to confuse everyone.
June: Grilled O Fried opened where Karahi Master had been. Was it a typo, or was it Portuguese? Feng Sushi took over from Walnut, bringing the number of sushi outlets in the greater West Hampstead area to seven. Millennium Café in Broadhurst Gardens closed with a whimper.
July: The smallest of those seven sushi bars closed – Sushi Gen was no more.
August: Picasso opened where Sushi Gen was – oddly, given that Picasso was a Spanish artist who lived in France, Picasso served Italian food.
October: Elephant Walk and J’s both closed.
November: Wired, a pop-up coffee shop, opened, as did Hana, taking over from the much-maligned Sea Lantern.
December: Bella Luna opened where J’s had been, and Grilled O Fried’s short-lived operation shut up shop.

Star of stage and screen
When you’re blessed with natural beauty and talent, it’s no surprise to find yourself thrust centre-stage. I should know, there was a whole paragraph about me in GQ earlier this year. Oh yes.

January: Maxine Peake was in the Wet Fish Café filming legal drama Silk. Across the road in West End Lane Books, Warwick Davis and Karl Pilkington were filming for An Idiot Abroad.
March: Vanessa Feltz grumbled about parking in West Hampstead on her BBC London radio show. A lively debate ensued online.
May: Keith “Plays Pop” Chegwin was spotted around Fordwych Road filming for a PR company
June: That episode of Silk aired, and the West Hampstead police stables were mentioned in a short BBC World film about Hampstead.
July: The Abbey Area estate was the setting for a BBC/Film 4 short film featuring Noel Clarke that polarised opinion [I liked it]
August: West Hampstead popped up in The Guardian, thanks to me, and in the Evening Standard, thanks to Robert Webb. It also featured on Samantha Womack’s edition of Who Do You Think You Are?
September: The police stables appeared again, as ITV reported on a performing horse joining the Met.
December: On the same day, Wired appeared on the One Show, and Flowerstalk featured on This Week. Later in the month West Hampstead was a pointless answer on Pointless, got a mention on Graham Norton and flashed by in archive footage in a piece about 150 years of the tube.

Plan of action
Perhaps the biggest stories of the year have been forged in Camden’s planning department. Not everyone gets excited about planning news, although as soon as building work begins you can guarantee a surge of interest and misguided accusations of a lack of consultation.

The most dramatic and controversial of all the planning decisions was that for 187-199 West End Lane aka West End Square aka the Ballymore scheme. Consultation for this sizeable residential development ended in mid-February. There were vocal objections to the scale, especially the 12-storey tower that would form the high point of this six-block plan. Nevertheless, in March, Camden passed the proposal on the grounds of the housing shortage and Ballymore’s amendments to its initial plan. City Hall also had to pass it, which it duly did. In September, the strip of shops on that land – from Café Bon to M.L.Estates – were given six months’ notice to quit.

West End Square proposal

Consultation also closed in February for the residential development at 163 Iverson Road where the garden centre once stood. The original plans had been watered down and although there were still objections, Camden passed the proposals in the summer. There is no word on when building will start.

Gondar Gardens sounds like a location in The Hobbit, and the saga has certainly dragged on like a Tolkein novel. In May, Camden rejected developer Linden Wates’ second proposal for this site even as an appeal over the first rejection was underway. That appeal was upheld by the national planning inspector in November. Then in early December, to many people’s surprise, Linden Wates also decided to appeal against the second refusal as well. Hedging their bets, or simply trying to recoup costs?

West Hampstead has been earmarked as an “area for intensification” in the London plan, with the bulk of that increase in population destined for the area around the train lines. The neighbourhood is therefore likely to undergo significant change over the coming years, and thus – using powers under the new Localism Act – a Neighbourhood Development Forum was set up in January, and is drafting a Neighbourhood Development Plan. Over the course of the year, it unveiled locals’ attitudes to architecture and to West Hampstead in general. Alongside this sits Camden’s own Placeshaping plan. This initiative was launched in 2011, and finally published its report in June.

Education isn’t a topic covered often in these pages, but schools did feature in planning news this year. South Hampstead High School was granted permission to build temporary classrooms on the Lymington Road sports ground (which it owns) while a two-year rebuild and refurb of its existing site in Hampstead is carried out. Meanwhile, Liddell Road industrial estate has been identified as the probable site of a new primary school that will operate under the aegis of Kingsgate primary school.

Emmanuel School opened a new building across the road from its existing property. Lots of locals moaned about the choice of grey brick rather than the more traditional red. Finally, a small private school could move in to the empty ground floor unit of Alfred Court on Fortune Green.

With so much activity, I added a “Planning news” menu option for the website and compiled an annotated map of all large local developments that will be kept updated throughout 2013 – a year that could see construction start at 187-199, and will definitely see the Abbey Area development begin.

Dial 999
It is sadly inevitable that over the course of a year in an area as densely populated as West Hampstead there will be crime and tragedy. In 2012, much of this seemed to be concentrated in the last two months of the year.

On Saturday November 10th a car hit two pedestrians on West End Lane. Desreen Brooks, from south London, was killed as she left the house of some local friends. Amy Werner, a postgrad from Vermont, was extremely badly injured. Her parents flew over immediately and she spent a month in an induced coma. A couple of weeks before Christmas she was able to fly back to the US where she is now in a rehab centre recovering slowly but steadily. Police are still piecing together what happened and no arrests have been made.

Desreen Brooks, with husband Ben Dutton

Later in November, Douglas Hutchison, a 60-year-old visually impaired man, was seriously injured in what is believed to be an unprovoked attack in broad daylight outside his home in Goldhurst Terrace. His attacker was immediately arrested following a police chase through the streets of South Hampstead. Mr Hutchison, who was more commonly known by his nom de plume, Professor Whitestick, died from his injuries in December.

There were two serious house fires in December. The first was in West End Court and sadly resulted in the death of the elderly woman who lived in the flat. The second was in Maygrove Road; thankfully fire crews were able to rescue all four people inside. There was also an unusual fire on West End Lane that thankfully caused no injuries but knocked out power for some residents.

What of the emergency services themselves? West Hampstead fire station looks secure for the time being, although Belsize is set to close. The local police station, however, has been earmarked for closure. In December, we learned that PC Ruth Marshall from the local Safer Neighbourhood Team will be returning to Northamptonshire police in early January.

March: A security van was robbed on West End Lane, which caused a few wags to speculate on how a speedy getaway would work given all the traffic.
June: Following a spate of attacks, the Ham & High reported on the pressure on Camden to improve security on the Black Path.
August: A dispersal zone was created around the Lithos Road and Lymington Road estates. Strangely it was removed in November with no consultation.
December: There were two West End Lane accidents in one day, one in the morning involving a police car and one in the evening when a pedestrian appeared to have been knocked down on a zebra crossing.

Sporting triumphs
For London, the Olympics was the year’s single biggest story. West Hampstead may not have held any events itself (although we learned it has some Olympic history) but we were not immune from the Games (and at least two locals performed in the opening ceremony).

There were fears that TfL had underestimated the impact the Olympics would have on the interchange between the three stations, especially with Lords and Wembley being close by and with two of the three lines heading straight to Stratford. In the end, West Hampstead coped remarkably well, and Kilburn even hosted the Trinidad & Tobago cultural house.

Sports person of the year (officially and unofficially) was Tour de France winner and Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins. His local connection first came to the fore in an interview with Sky Sports, and from then on the media dubbed him the “Kid from Kilburn” (even though he’s lived in the north-west of England rather than London for quite some time). There are still murmurings about getting him to do a victory parade up Kilburn High Road, or naming something in his honour; and there was a lot of unnecessary quibbling about where exactly he came from.

L’Equipe identifies Kilburn
(photo via @mascart)

A year is a long time in politics
It was a relatively quiet year politically for West Hampstead. In the Mayoral elections in May, West Hampstead voted to keep Boris as mayor, but resoundingly kicked out Assembly Member Brian Coleman – as did the rest of his Barnet & Camden constituency. The Lib Dems, who hold all six of the West Hampstead and Fortune Green council seats, took a battering at the ballot box.

In October, the Boundary Commission presented its revised proposals for parliamentary constituencies and returned Fortune Green to Hampstead & Kilburn.

It was confirmed that all three main parties will field new candidates in the next general election, although none is yet to declare its candidate. The Conservatives have at least drawn up a shortlist, while speculation is rife as to who will assume Glenda Jackson’s mantle for Labour.

The end of the year as we know it… and I feel fine
There you have it – all the news that’s old and approved as Adrian Kronauer would have said if Good Morning Vietnam had had a slightly flippant review of the year. Hope you enjoyed following along on West Hampstead Life this year. For a weekly round-up of local news delivered to your inbox, just sign up to the newsletter. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming whampevents.

Best wishes for 2013.

What have I missed since December 17th?

There were two accidents on Tuesday – one at the start,and one at the end of the day. Thankfully, no-one was seriously hurt.

On Wednedsay, four people were rescued from a house fire on Maygrove Road.

Police have released CCTV images of “vital” witnesses to the the crash on November 10th that killed Desreen Brooks and badly injured Amy Werner.

A substation explosion knocked out power for some 18 hours for residents around Woodchurch Road/Priory Road this weekend.

What were NxNW6’s films of the year?

West Hampstead had another week of media exposure. First it was a pointless answer on Pointless! Then it appeared in this clip commemorating 150 years of the tube. And finally, it made it into The Graham Norton Show on Friday.

A Londis is opening on Fortune Green Road.

The Aldi that’s opening on Kilburn High Road has applied for an 8am-11pm alcohol licence.

Have a Merry Christmas – next week will be a review of the year rather than just the week!

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since December 10th?

Douglas Hutchison, the man attacked on Goldhurst Terrace on November 29th, died in hospital. He was better known to many as “Professor Whitestick”.

PC Ruth Marshall will be leaving the West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood Team in the New Year.

The dispersal zone that covered the Lymington Road/Lithos Road area was wound up in November,  apparently without any consultation with relevant groups.

There was a fire outside Sainsbury’s on West End Lane that also caused a power cut.

What did Tom make of new West End Lane restaurant Hana?

La Brocca and Cycle Surgery were both broken into and West End Lane Books had an attempted break in on Thursday night. La Brocca also hosted a carol concert on Saturday with four tubas – it raised £265 for a homeless charity.

The latest release of census data revealed all sorts of facts about Camden, including the number of Jedis in the borough.

Cyclist Bradley Wiggins, the “kid from Kilburn”, won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

The O2 lost its revolving doors but gained a minimalist Christmas tree.

The three Tories on the final shortlist for Hampstead and Kilburn are Simon Marcus, Seema Kennedy and Alex Burghart.

I rather like the new look West End Lane Cars sign.

Alan at West Hampstead Overground was awarded Metro’s “deed of the day

Wifi is now available inside Swiss Cottage tube.

What are the quantifiable benefits of spending in local businesses rather than chains?

Do you think money should be spent on improving West Hampstead’s library facilities?

A new no frills gym opened in Kilburn.

Paramount won Best Single Agency London at the annual estate agents awards bash.

Grilled O Fried seems to have closed for good.

Cllr Theo Blackwell responded to Cllr Gillian Risso-Gill’s accusation that Camden is taking the easy option when it comes to finding new commercial tenants.

A new exhibition – Film in Space – opened at the Camden Arts Centre

Check out all the Hobbit options, plus some Christmas movie offerings via @NxNW6

Coming up
Monday: Santa’s dropping in to Blue Daisy in the afternoon.
Monday is also the end-of-year special at Good Ship Comedy.
Wednesday: Jacky Hyams will speak at the “a.m. club” at the library on “Bombsites & Lollipops

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since December 3rd?

It was a bad week for First Capital Connect with some horrendous delays that forced several commuter trains to terminate at West Hampstead. From this week, there are timetable changes. There’s also a “Meet the Director” online forum at 1pm on Friday 14th  December.

Meanwhile, locals who live along the train line are in for sleepless nights this week as foliage is cleared from the embankments.

West Hampstead largely avoided the snow that lightly covered other parts of London, but there was a brief moment of winter wonderland on West End Lane.

West Hampstead Farmers’ Market recevied planning permission after Camden received a staggering 284 letters in support (and 4 against). Meanwhile, estate agents battle to be your preferred Bag for Life, with Paramount, Chelsea Square and Alexanders all getting in on the act.

The Christmas market was a success on Saturday as it went from empty to full.

Read how new correspondent @ZENW6 got on at the Yi Dao clinic on Mill Lane with a Tui Na massage.

House prices in West Hampstead are up, so why are all players in the property market so stressed?

West Hampstead featured twice on the BBC this week. First Wired was on the One Show (watch here), and then Flowerstalk was on This Week. And if all that wasn’t enough, a rom-com was being filmed at The Private Space.

Developers Linden Wates are to appeal their second Gondar Gardens proposal, even though their first proposal has been given the all clear.

Byron Hamburger joint is opening in the O2 where Fine Burger Co. was.

Fortune Green may achieve a royal designation, while a school might be moving in to Alfred Court, overlooking the Green.

Amy Werner, the American student badly injured in the car crash a month ago, finally flew back to the US this week. She has also taken her first steps and continues to recover.

Is Camden serving West Hampstead entrepreneurs well?

Check out the full local cinema listings for the week.

Dick Barton – beloved of schoolkids from a bygone age – had a West Hampstead connection.

A new café has opened in Kingsgate Community Centre.

Learn more about the Marquis, Mrs Peters and Kilburn Grange.

There’s a lovely Christmas tree outside Buckingham Mansions.

Coming Up
All week: a Winter Print exhibition at Kingsgate Studios.
Wednesday: The Movers & Shapers Xmas Party (6-9pm)
Thursday: #whampxmasdrinks downstairs at The Gallery – just turn up!
Friday: live webchat with Kilburn councillor Mike Katz

Tweet of the Week
One of the survivors of Tuesday’s FCC debacle gets the nod this week

What have I missed since November 26th?

The Neighbourhood Development Plan published its draft core policies, which were discussed at a meeting last Thursday.

There was a violent assault on Goldhurst Terrace on Thursday.

A woman died on Sunday morning in a fire in a flat in West End Court on the corner of Priory Road and Greencroft Gardens.

Fire station cuts will affect Camden, but West Hampstead may be safe.

There’s a new tree on West End Green . Meanwhile another tree nearby was cut down after it was found to be diseased.

Amy Werner, injured in the car accident a few weeks ago, is still recovering in hospital. Her parents hope they’ll be able to fly her home on Wednesday.

A “romantic drama” was aired, featuring some prominent local inhabitants.

An escaped prisoner made his way to the area, but was caught by police on Saturday.

Boris rules out step-free access to West Hampstead tube station.

How well is South Hampstead’s contraflow cycle scheme working?

Mill Lane businesses are trying to reinvigorate the street.

Wired, the new coffee shop on West End Lane, had a launch event with live jazz and joined Twitter.

Central European deli Old Bridge opened, and also joined Twitter.

Tom went wild at La Brocca a couple of weeks back.

Paperchase and Oliver Bonas have opened in the O2 centre.

Sightseers is NxNW6’s film of the week. Check out the full local listings.

Aldi is opening next to TKMaxx on Kilburn High Road.

West Hampstead screen prints are now for sale.

Keep an eye out for ATMs on West End Lane eating your card. There was a Lebanese loop scam week before last.

A series of major drug arrests were made at a Kilburn snooker club.

There’s a new toddlers group at Hampstead Synagogue.

The problems with Virgin broadband reared their ugly head again.

An independent school is thinking of moving into the vacant units in the Sager building (the newish block of flats on Fortune Green Road).

Coming up
Tuesday: West Hampstead Business Association social at The Gallery
Wednesday: West End Lane Books hosts Horologicon author Mark Forsyth
Also on Wednesday, Camden decides whether to proceed with the borough-wide 20mph scheme.
Saturday: West Hampstead Christmas market
And don’t forget #whampxmasdrinks on December 13th at The Gallery

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since November 19th?

Is West Hampstead police station set to close completely?

The latest fire station closure proposals were published. West Hampstead is neither slated for closure nor on the protected list.

Amy Werner, the student injured in the car accident a couple of weeks ago, could be flown back to the US on Friday.

A Croatian deli is opening on Broadhurst Gardens.

Richard Osman & Alexander Armstrong signed copies of their Pointless book at West End Lane Books on Monday.

The West Hampstead Christmas market is looking for volunteers to help on the day. Please contact Jody on 07765 214867

A new tree was planted on West End Green in honour of the Jubilee, sponsored by Chelsea Square

West End Lane flooded after Thursday night’s heavy rain, but the water was quickly pumped away.

West Hampstead’s newest coffee shop, Wired (where Rock Men’s Salon was – Rock has moved round the corner) garnered a flurry of good reviews in its first week.

The limited edition screen print of West Hampstead is now available to buy.

The Tricycle is hosting the Irish Film Festival, details of that and all other local listings courtesy of @NxNW6.

#whampgather X broke all the records.

Read about our excellent evening at Feng Sushi.

Local tennis player Harriet Dart reached her first senior final.

A cat was found dead by a speed bump in Canfield Gardens

Coming up
The Neighbourhood Development Forum convenes on Thursday to discuss the second draft plan.
Advance notice of Sidings festive songs on Wednesday Dec 12.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since November 12th?

The fatal accident on West End Lane a week ago continued to make the news, while dozens of readers of this site expressed their condolences and asked how they could help.

Camden is imposing a 150% council tax on second homes left empty for more than two years.

The tenth #whampgather was a great night: 160 locals at The Alliance and £600 raised for The Winch in the raffle. Thanks to all who came. Only two people successfully solved the treasure hunt – congratulations to Carla and Lucy, and an honourable mention for Eugene.

A haberdashery will be opening at 47 Mill Lane – date to be confirmed.

Dutch & Dutch have been instructed to help the West End Lane post office relocate. The postmaster is closing it to “pursue other business interests”, although it will close only when a new post office is open nearby. The new post office could be incorporated into an existing shop or café.

Tom gave his verdict on Spiga’s revamped menu.

How do rents in West Hampstead compare with elsewhere on the Jubilee Line?

West Hampstead to Marylebone was mooted as a bike corridor.

The Master is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week.

The Kilburn History blog recalled the day in 1917 when a Zeppelin flew over the area.

60/62 Mill Lane – the former home of the West Hampstead Community Association – has a change of use planning application in for conversion to A2 use (financial/professional).

Paramount Properties collected more than 100 coats for Hands On London from locals. Great effort.

Coming up
Chelsea Square is planting a tree on West End Green at 11am on Monday. 
Later on Monday (6pm) Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong will be doing a Pointless book signing at West End Lane Books.
The Irish Film Festival starts on Wednesday with screenings at The Tricycle, look out for more this week.

Tweet of the Week
Several strong contenders this week, but decided I had to go with a #whampgather related tweet from none other than Lauren:

What have I missed since November 5th?

There was a tragic road accident on West End Lane on Saturday night. The cause is still unclear.

The farmers’ market needs planning permission – your comments can help ensure it gets it.

Students living in the new block on Blackburn Road will have to shell out at least £199 a week, but get their own cinema.

There’s a Treasure Hunt running up until Thursday’s whampgather. Solve the clues and join in!

We got the full story on the Gondar Gardens development.

The new development at 163 Iverson Road shows no signs of starting yet – and the architects have no update.

Camden is consulting on the potential disposal of some “small sites” in the area.

With so many developments, it seemed like time for a map!

After a smash & grab robbery at Brent Cross, there was another on Kilburn High Road.

There was an attempted robbery of Nam’s Heel Bar during Wednesday evening’s rush hour – nothing was taken.

Hampstead & Kilburn is on the Conservatives’ list of the first 10 constituencies for which to choose a candidate. Meanwhile, the Sunday Times threw Georgia Gould’s name out there as a possible Labour candidate.

Whampsushi at Feng Sushi was a hit, with some great food, chat and some demonstations from MD Silla Bjerrum.

Whampgather X is this Thursday!

Read a review of Loft, the newest coffee place in the area.

Argo was NxNW6’s Film of the Week.

Do you know someone who would benefit from Camden’s home library service?

We learned that J’s is to become Bella Luna – the sign’s already up!

Rock Men’s Salon moves to Broadhurst Gardens this week.

Fitters were in at the Thameslink station, so WH Smith’s newsstand should be opening very soon.

I posted a charming short film set entirely in West Hampstead.

And finally, Alex, from Lena’s 2, has a young cat who needs a home – pop in and speak to her if you have a home to give!.

Coming up
Tuesday: public meeting to discuss possible changes to West Hampstead Medical Centre 7.30pm.

Tweet of the Week
Something topical this week: 

What have I missed since October 29th?

J’s – the pizza and breakfast place on West End Lane has closed.

I learned that TS Eliot lived briefly in Compayne Gardens.

Find out what locals think of the neighbourhood (misty eyed or hungry for change?) These views will help inform the Neighbourhood Development Plan. There was a meeting about the plan a couple of weeks ago, with a progress update and lots of questions.

Camden’s 20mph limit proposal has proved emotive.

The original Gondar Gardens planning proposal has been passed by the Inspector. 16 units will be built there. More on this story this week.

Read about the plans for 65-67 Maygrove Road and their impact on Sidings Community Centre.

New bells at St Mary’s were blessed last Sunday.

If you have a spare winter coat, why not give it to someone who really needs it.

Sea Lantern is opening as Hana, another Persian restaurant apparently.

Bradley “Kid from Kilburn” Wiggins said that he’d get the bus up the High Road in this long Guardian interview.

A craft market has sprung up opposite the farmers’ market.

Rust and Bone is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week.

Roadworks on the southern end of West End Lane caused traffic gridlock in the latter half of the week.

Did you know Quex Road almost had a tube station?

Two of the Camden New Journal’s journalists won at the Regional Press Awards.

There’s a new community noticeboard outside the library.

105 years ago this week, a child was abducted in Kilburn.

Willesden Green’s Save the Queensbury campaign has a website.

NW2 Residents Assocation has published a useful list of local tradespeople

A few of us sent some very silly Halloween Hyperlocal tweets.

NW6’s favourite racehorse is back after a break.

Coming up:
Monday: Fireworks at Roundwood Park (the only large display in the area)
There’s a wild mushroom & game menu at La Brocca next Friday-Sunday
A murder mystery play at Kingsgate Community Centre starts on Friday

Tweet of the Week
Was it love at first sight, or first 1,000th sight?

Photo of the Week
Big changes near Kilburn Park

What have I missed since October 22nd?

The Gallery has raised more than £400 for The Winch from its last two whisky tasting evenings.

Mill Lane Bistro has joined Twitter (@Mill_Lane).

Whampsushi takes place on November 7th at Feng Sushi – sign up now for what should be a great evening.

Mr Pink’s pet shop at the top of West End Lane is now a vintage clothes shop.

There’s been a spate of thefts from cars in the area recently – keep valuables out of sight (or out of the car).

Rock Mens Salon will shortly be moving to Broadhurst Gardens, where the Millennium Cafe was.

There is apparently a proposal in the offing to develop the site next to (on the WEL side) the student accommodation block being built on Blackburn Road.

What’s your view on Camden’s 20mph idea?

Sparkle Bar & Lounge in the O2 is seeking to extend its licensing hours to 3am Mon-Sat and 1am Sunday. And to allow drinking without eating.

Ram from Shamrock dry cleaners (now under new owners) is now doing alterations in AAA Launderette, 196 West End Lane.

30 of us went to see the opening night of Skyfall at #whampfilmclub. It was, unsurprisingly, NxNW6’s film of the week.

A missing dog was reunited with its owner thanks to Twitter.

Coming up
Monday – Anna Chen and Charles Shaar Murray perform at Brioche at 7.30pm (free)
Thursday – Meeting for all Mill Lane business owners 1 Nov 6.30pm at The Alliance to discuss how to make the most of Camden’s placeshaping initiative on Mill Lane.

Whampgather on Nov 15th – it’s always worth going on the waiting list if you fancy coming along. At previous whampgathers, quite a lot of waiting list people have got last minute tickets.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since October 15th?

Camden is offering up to £25,000 to council tenants willing to downsize (this may also mean moving out of the borough).

Apparently, bailiffs seized Elephant Walk on West End Lane Thursday.

Full coverage of the Boundary Commission’s review of Hampstead & Kilburn constituency.

Does saving the Queensbury in Willesden, mean accepting the new library development?

Whampgather on Nov 15th has sold out but there is a waiting list.

Kilburn ward’s Safer Neighbourhood Team’s latest priorities were set: anti-social behaviour in Kingsgate Road estate & Webheath/Grange Park, along with tackling car crime.

If you want to join the West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood panel then contact @WHlocalplod.

Belsize was named on a leaked list of fire stations to be closed.

Plenty of West Hampstead issues were raised at a Camden Transport meeting.

Tom went to Ciao Ciao in Kilburn.

Schultz Estates on Broadhurst Gardens is moving to Highgate.

Phone scams are rife again – with some West Hampstead people targeted. Never hand over your credit card at the door, or give your pin over the phone (even by entering the digits on the keypad).

Beasts of the Southern Wild is NxNW6’s film of the week.

Major changes to the way we recycle in Camden are afoot.

Shamrock dry cleaner has changed hands (and name).

Have you suffered at the hands of Royal Mail in the past year?

Coming up
Monday – the public meeting about the Neighbourhood Development Plan. Do come along and express your view.
Sunday: Help out on Fortune Green (there’s cake).
Sunday: a set of church bells will be blessed at St Mary’s – they’ll be the only set in West Hampstead.
Very early warning of Christmas drinks on December 13th at The Gallery – no tickets, no booking, just turn up.

Tweet of the Week
Because all #whampers are “Number one super guy”

What have I missed since October 8th

Plans for driverless Jubilee trains are shelved.

The WHGARA vote on whether to support the proposed southern boundary of the Neighbourhood Development Forum was cancelled. The decision will be made at a public meeting on October 22nd.

Loud explosions heard late last Monday night weren’t fireworks but railway engineering work apparently.

There is a proposal to demolish the Queensbury in Willesden Green and build 56 flats in its place. There is also a petition against the demolition.

Tickets for the tenth whampgather are already being snapped up – there aren’t many left, so get in quick.

On the Road is @NxNW6‘s Film of the Week. Check out the full local listings.

Camden’s proposed 20mph limit on all non-TfL roads in the borough got a lot of news coverage.

Readers can get 2-for-1 tickets at Hampstead Heath’s Affordable Art Fair starting November 1st.

Donate £10 to the West Hampstead Community Association and it gets doubled during October.

Coming up
This Thursday, local jazz god Simon Whiteside is playing at La Brocca.

Tweet of the Week
Stiff competition this week, but the winner is Eugene’s soap-opera tweet.

What have I missed since October 1st

Rained a bit didn’t it?

Gondar Gardens first appeal came to a conclusion.

The student accommodation being built on Blackburn Road had its topping out ceremony (ie, it won’t get any higher).

Powers has reponed after some remedial refurbishment.

For National Poetry Day, a few locals penned some verse.

There was a public meeting about proposed development on Maygrove Road.

The #whampfilm opening night screening of Skyfall sold out in 007 quick time.

Best One is making a comeback in Fortune Green – strangely.

Should we pay for our own civic amenities?

Read about the Tricycle’s new artistic director.

The billboards opposite the tube station have been removed.

Liberal Arts is NxNW6’s film of the week.

The Kilburn History blog has a post about all the record shops that have ever existed in Kilburn and West Hampstead.

If you live in Brent, you can get tickets for England v San Marino on October 12th for £20 (£10 for kids) if you take a utility bill to Wembley Stadium box office.

The Walkabout on Finchley Road has closed.

Photo of the Week
Good “health & safety” spot by @RogerSamuelRes here:

What have I missed since September 24th?

West Hampstead police stables featured on ITV news as a former performing horse joined the ranks.

There’s a democratic paradox south of the tube lines in West Hampstead.

If you’re advertising for a flatmate, then I’ve teamed up with Apartli to offer vouchers for local businesses for adverts you place.

Brent cyclists propose a more permanent way of honouring Bradley Wiggins.

Kicking and Screening is the Film Event of the Week among the local listings.

The Christmas market will take place again this year on West End Green on December 8th.

The West Hampstead Neighbourhood Development Forum has a Twitter account.

Apparently, two motorbikes caught fire on Woodchurch Road on Saturday night.

The last old-stock Met Line train made its final scheduled journey.

Kingsgate Studios is dedicating October to a series of linked Kilburn art events.

A storytelling course is starting in West Hampstead.

The four disused cottages behind the fire station are to be sold off to raise funds for the London Fire Brigade.

Large incentives were offered for people who bought a Mill Lane apartment on Saturday – but is it enough?

There was a full write-up of the opening of the farmers’ market.

JoJo MamanBebe opened this weekend on West End Lane.

No change to the make up of Camden Council as the Conservatives retained their seat in Hampstead ward in a by-election.

Coming up
Monday: poetry reading at Brioche

Thursday: There’s a pub quiz at The Gallery to raise money for MIND.

Saturday/Sunday: La Brocca’s 18th annual oyster festival

October 17th – a public meeting about Camden transport.

Photo of the Week
Feels like autumn is well on its way, so time for this moody shot of the Black Path by by Bill

What have I missed since September 10th?

I’ve been two weeks out of the saddle, so what’s been happenng in Wild West Hampstead?

The West Hampstead Farmers’ Market opened this Saturday. Everyone seemed very pleased.

A plaque to author George Orwell was unveiled, followed by a reading in West End Lane Books by his son Richard Blair.

The Red Arrows swooped over West Hampstead after the London 2012 victory parade.

Timmy Mallett was among the stars at the annual Hampstead CC charity cricket match.

Chris Philp (Conservative) and Ed Fordham (LibDem) both announced they wouldn’t stand again for Hampstead & Kilburn at the next general election. This means three new faces to contest the seat next time around.

West Hampstead WI is on Twitter (it’s not all cakes and jam y’know) @WestHampsteadWI.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (yes, really) is @NxNW6’s Film of the Week.

The Camden housing office at 156 West End Lane will stay open until 19 October because of a delay in sending out letters to tenants.

Coming Up
Saturday: a charity night at The Railway starting at 8.30. Run by West Hampstead fire station for Help The Heroes. Live music, free buffet, raffle, £5 in.

Also on Saturday, the final old stock Met Line train will be making its journey from Moorgate, departing at 9.55am. I’m afraid the journey is already sold out, but you could always go to Finchley Road to see it.

Tweet of the Week
Amid all the gushing over pigeon breasts and kohlrabi, the inevitable farmers’ market related tweet of the week was altogether more prosaic.

What have I missed since September 3rd?

Everyone went back to school this week – even though the Paralympics and the weather are there to remind us of the summer. What marked the new term in West Hampstead? Well, actually this week is rather dominated by Kilburn news!

The Guardian reviewed the latest exhibition at Kilburn’s Tin Tabernacle.

HungryInLondon reviewed Ariana – and liked what it found.

A water main burst on the North Circular causing traffic chaos throughout the area.

Zadie Smith is all over the media at the moment, and all over Kilburn.

I wrote about two different videos about Kilburn.

The Kilburn Grand Tour announced its programme.

The Kilburn Comedy Festival started Friday.

Brent residents can now get England tickets at Wembley Stadium for £20 (£10 for kids). Show a bill proving your Brent residency at Wembley box office (max 8 per household).

It’s the end of the line for the old-style Met Line trains.

A Silence of the Lambs supper club screening is this week’s local Film of the Week.

Coming up
West Hampstead Community Centre has its AGM on Monday 6pm-7.30pm. Come and hear about the future of your community centre (there’s cheese and wine!)

On Tuesday, George Orwell’s son, Richard Blair, will be reading at West End Lane Books, as part of the unveiling of a green plaque for Orwell. Please book ahead for the 4.30pm reading.

Tweet and Photo of the Week.
Stiff competition this week. The Farmers’ Market cow being milked was a close runner up, but in the end the award goes to Tom.

What have I missed since August 28th?

In a week when we gawped at the exploits of Paralympians, and prepared to go back to school (with or without help from Michael Gove), what was happening closer to home?

The farmers’ market cow suffered a slight mishap at the start of the week. The market is on Facebook as well, and a banner went up.

There was a meeting about the proposed West Hampstead dispersal zone.

A pioneering surgeon is to get a blue plaque in West Hampstead.

Local MP Glenda Jackson chaired a meeting about Kilburn High Road which sought to re-establish cross-borough cooperation on improving the road.

Notable local Robert Webb called out a fan who tweeted about seeing him in the Black Lion.

The Westbury’s replacement, which opens at the end of the week, is no longer called The Hudson. It’s now called Love & Liquor.

The West Hampstead women’s centre held an East meets West art project.

Kingsgate Community Centre has an impressive range of courses for the new term.

The O2 has a new venue – Sparkle Bar and Lounge.

The paralympic torch skirted West Hampstead on Wednesday as it headed for the stadium.

Firefighters were called to a shed on fire in Broomsleigh Street on Thursday, no-one was injured.

Mill Lane Barbers celebrates its 10th anniversary with an amazing prize. Each haircut in Sept will entitle the customer to entry into a draw to receive a year’s worth of free haircuts!

Berberian Sound Studio is this week’s local Film of the Week.

It’s still a long way out, and full details/tickets won’t be available until the end of the month, but Whampgather X will be at The Alliance on Mill Lane on November 15th.

Coming up
Next weekend there are three outdoor screenings in Kilburn Grange Park and one in Queens Park.

Tweet of the Week
A late entry, but a good ‘un

What have I missed since Aug 20th

Bank holiday weekend means the newsletter is a day late. It’s got nothing do with a lion rampaging through NW6. So, what HAS been happening over the past seven days?

A cow appeared to advertise the forthcoming farmers’ market. The market is still seeking a manager.

Have the ice cream van and hot dog stand gone for good?

The local Safer Neighbourhood team is proposing a dispersal zone for part of West Hampstead.

Pro Arte stringed instrument shop opened on Saturday.

There was a car chase in West Hampstead on Friday night – one arrest was made

Powers in Kilburn is closed until further notice while some repair work is carried out

The Hudson (new bar/venue replacing The Westbury) opens soon (and there’s talk of a name change already).

Dame Janet Suzman gave a talk at West End Lane Books about women in the theatre.

Bojangles the hairdresser appears to be turning into a marble shop!

The Bruce Lacey exhibition at Camden Arts Centre is well worth checking out

The Imposter is this week’s Film of the Week.

Join some locals at #whampwhisky – a whisky & cheese tasting experience at The Gallery on September 4th. It’s £10 and all profits after cheese-buying go to The Winch.

Coming up
On Saturday, keep an eye out for Wally – it’s the 25th anniversary of the red-and-white striped one, and West End Lane Books has prizes to give away!

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since August 13th

post sponsored by Guardian

Warm isn’t it? While you were sunbathing amid the funfair on Fortune Green, what else has been happening in West Hampstead?

A hot dog stand and ice cream van popped up (not in the fashionable sense) on the widened Thameslink station. Then disappeared. Then appeared again. It’s not quite the farmers’ market though is it?

The original Café Bon, which seemed to have closed, has reopened.

Also preparing to open where Sushi Gen was is the geographically strangely named Picasso. Geographically strange because it’s offering “Italian street food”.

At least one Lymington Road resident isn’t happy with how the temporary school buildings on the sports ground are affecting her view.

Sarah Polley’s latest film Take This Waltz is one of this week’s local films.

A dispersal zone has been put in place for a large part of Kilburn. Meanwhile, a West Hampstead dispersal zone has been proposed by the police. There’s a consultation meeting about this on August 28th. Full post on this coming very soon.

West Hampstead cropped up in Samantha Womack’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

The third #whampbooks night at West End Lane Books was a big success. Thanks to all who came, to the bookshop for the late-night opening, and Chelsea Square for the wine.

Tweet of the Week
Seasonal greetings

Coming Soon
This Thursday Dame Janet Suzman is reading from her new book Not Hamlet at West End Lane Books. It’s free, but you need to reserve and I’d do it quick.

What have I missed since August 6th?

Olympics eh? As the world turns its attention to London, what would it see if it focused in on West Hampstead?

There was some confusion about the farmers’ market, after it was removed from the LFM page.

Lymington Road-based Hampstead CC beat Eastcote to reach the final of the Middlesex Cup.

This Thursday evening, West End Lane Books hosts the third #whampbooks. No tickets, just turn up.

There’s been a spate of door-knockers from people claiming to be from utilities, followed by burglaries later that day. Be careful and ask for ID.

There was a break-in at Insight Opticians. Thieves took a rack of Tag Heuer glasses.

“Your bottom is not your enemy” – What did #whamper Fiona make of the Trinidad & Tobago Cultural village at the Tricycle?

The Bourne Legacy is NxNW6’s Film of the Week. Check out the full local listings.

Broadhurst Gardens is getting a stringed instruments shop/repair outfit where Senses café was.

Bojangles (the hair salon next to Brioche) has closed.

The original Café Bon (in the strip of shops where Peppercorns is) has also closed.

Children’s and mother’s clothes shop chain JoJo MamanBébé is opening at the top end of West End Lane.

Notable local Robert “Peep Show” Webb wrote about West Hampstead in the Standard’s My London column.

Tweet of the Week
Had to be an Olympic-related tweet:

Photo of the Week
Jon Kelly – 2011’s Tweet of the Year winner – spotted this “diverse business portfolio” sign in Kilburn:

What have I missed since July 30th?

It’s been wall-to-wall Olympics in WHampstead Towers, but there’s been the odd bit of news in the area that’s worth catching up with.

The West Hampstead farmers’ market will open on September 22nd.

Sadly, Ammis Curry on the Kilburn High Road has closed.

I hear that Sushi Gen is going to become an Italian restaurant called Picasso (yes, I know Picasso wasn’t Italian).

There’s an art exhibition at Gloves Boxing Club (of all places) raising money for Broadway – a homeless charity.

There was another accident involving a pedestrian and a lorry on the Kilburn High Road, thankfully this one wasn’t fatal.Local cllr Thomas Gardiner has asked Camden’s transport chief to investigate, in co-operation with Brent & TfL.

Have your say on how Camden chooses the unheralded gems of West Hampstead.

I wrote about a perfect day out in NW London in The Guardian, but there’s a reason it was quite so highbrow!

Eames: The Architect and the Painter is this week’s Film of the Week.

The Kilburn Kid became the Chorley lad when he won gold in the time trial.

Tweet / Photo of the Week

What have I missed since July 22nd?

It’s pretty quiet in London really. Not much happening. Nope, can’t think of a singl…OLYMPICSSSSSSS. Ahem.

A burst water main produced a spectacular flood on Kilburn High Road on Wednesday morning. The fire service took just a few hours to pump all the water out, but one or two businesses were badly affected and there’s a huge hole in Christchurch Avenue.

West End Lane’s long-standing sushi restaurant Sushi Gen appears to have shut up shop. The handwritten sign in the window simply reads “Sushi closed”.

The Tricycle Theatre is hosting the Trinidad & Tobago cultural village during the Olympics.

There was an excellent turnout for the Fortune Green film screening on Tuesday. Another one is being lined up for late September.

If you want to help the Friends of Fortune Green, they are looking for some PR/communications support.

Alexandra & Ainsworth Estate was the backdrop for a BBC/Film 4 short film focused around a young boy overcoming peer pressure to “be a man”. Residents’ reactions were mixed.

The Secret BBQ was a big hit as more than 60 people turned up on what was the first properly hot day of the summer. We also raised £100 for The Winch.

I recommend my Olympic Travel Guide for those of you staying in West Hampstead for the next couple of weeks.

Does it matter where in Kilburn Bradley Wiggins is from?

Searching for Sugar Man is NxNW6’s film of the week.

Will West Hampstead get free WiFi under Camden’s plans to offer the concession to commercial operators?

Local residents group complains about drivers having to look where they’re going.

Do you know anyone who worked at Decca Studios in Broadhurst Gardens, or do you have memories of Kooks Kleek? Local historians want to talk to you.

Tweet of the Week
Had to be flood-related (c’mon, it was that or the Olympics and there’s plenty of time for that):

What have I missed since July 16th

As the Olympics edge nearer and the sun edges out from behind the grey clouds, what has been lighting up West Hampstead over the past week?

Bradley Wiggins rode to victory in the Tour de France and Kilburn became ignited with passion. Many articles referred to his Kilburn upbringing, but this one focused on it more than most. There are already twitter campaigns for a local road to be named after him. 

I wrote a two-part Olympic travel guide. Part 1 on whether our local stations can take the strain; and part 2 as a general guide to getting around once the Games begin.

What sort of local architecture do residents love and loathe?

The planning application for the Camden eruv has been submitted.

Pita up West End Lane appears to have its lease up for sale.

Life expectancy around West Hampstead station is 81, but the detail doesn’t matter.

Kilburn featured prominently in C4’s Undercover Boss programme

We held our first whampfilm event on the opening night of Dark Knight Rises at the IMAX in Swiss Cottage

Dark Knight Rises is the local Film of the Week.

Sunday was the second Secret BBQ, and once again the weather played ball. Full write-up this week.

A woman was killed in a traffic accident on Kilburn High Road on Wednesday.

Camden approved plans for the new Liddell Road school (an extension of the existing Kingsgate School).

The Westbury, which closed a few weeks ago, will reopen as The Hudson, a NYC-style (themed?) bar

Coming up
It’s Love Parks week, so there’s a host of activities on Fortune Green.
They include Tuesday’s outdoor film screening of Breaking Away.
Thursday: Charity quiz at The Alliance.
August 3rd West Hampstead Community Centre hosts a business brunch
August 16th: West End Lane Books twitter event (20% off books, free wine!)

Tweet of the Week

Photo of the Week
Both @misshkwilson and @Sam_Clicks snapped this little bit of vandalism, but @misshkwilson’s photo was more brazen and thus gets the nod.

What have I missed since July 9th?

Apologies for the delayed newsletter – couldn’t get reliable WiFi last night I’m afraid. We shall crack on!

Camden announced proposals to extend Kingsgate School with an entirely new site in Liddell Road although this would mean the loss of some businesses. The council will vote on Wednesday.

You can have your say on how West Hampstead develops.

The dedicated Kilburn High Road police team cracked down on street crime.

French sports paper L’Equipe explained where Tour de France leader Bradley Wiggins comes from.

The Olympics must be here, Chariots of Fire is this week’s local Film of the Week.

A local man bought a bag for £20 in a (not local) charity shop. Turns out it might be worth a bit more than that.

Coming Up
The Kilburn History Festival continues
Tonight: Batman film quiz 6pm Ambar Swiss Cottage Odeon. £10 team of up to 4 for charity. Just turn up.

What have I missed since July 2nd?

Andy Murray lost, but Kilburn’s Bradley Wiggins assumed the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, so, y’know every cloud… well, every cloud seems to be passing over West Hampstead.

It’s been a quiet week of local news though, so this won’t take long.

The Ham & High reported how a local child can’t get a school place in the area. There is a petition to sign to try and get a new primary school in NW6.

Oliver Bonas and Paperchase are apparently moving into the O2 centre.

Fill in this Neighbourhood Development Forum survey to have input into how West Hampstead develops.

Spicy Basil and Ruchi both joined Twitter.

An evening at West End Lane Books revealed all about our very own 18th Century Olympic Games.

You’ve Been Trumped is the local Film of the Week.

Local artist Martin Robertson needs your help.

There are still places left for the Secret BBQ on July 22nd.

A new programme of activities for the over 50s begins at West Hampstead Community Centre: a dance class every Thursday (6.30-8pm) starting on 19th July (excluding 2nd & 9th August); and a series of monthly health sessions on Thursdays from 11am-1pm starting August 2nd.

Coming up:
Thursday 2-7pm, West Hampstead Synagogue: Camden wants to speak to local residents and businesses about their views on specific transport-related issues in the area. What do you think would improve the streets and traffic in the area? It’s a drop-in session.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since June 25th

We had a thumping win for Spain in the Euros, Self-styled “Kilburn kid” Bradley Wiggins got off to a good start in the Tour de France, and there was YET ANOTHER banking scandal. But what happened closer to home?

A farmers’ market now looks likely in West Hampstead.

Secret BBQ tickets went on sale for July 22nd – there are still some places left so do sign up!

I wrote a short story about the local power of Twitter.

Feng Sushi opened on Wednesday where Walnut used to be.

The Monsters of Art tattoo studio and sreet art gallery opened on Mill Lane.

The Ethiopian Millennium Café on Broadhurst Gardens appears to have closed.

The Jester Festival went with a swing – was interesting to see residents’ mixed views on different local developments at the Neighbourhood Development Forum stall.

The men who held up The Gallery in November 2011 were sent to prison.

The Kilburn campus of the College of NW London is up for sale.

Councillors are attempting to appeal to Tesco’s better nature in the long-running dispute about delivery vehicles on West End Lane.

The  West Hampstead mounted police got a mention in this BBC World Service film about Hampstead.

The men only yoga session went well, the first-time discount applies to anyone signing up for July 10th.

The weekly film listings include info for the Kilburn Film Festival, which is taking place at the moment.

Pop Up Screens announced a program for Kilburn Grange park in early September.

Which buildings do you think are of special significance locally?

Camden withdrew plans to develop the Broadfield open space.

This was my favourite of this week’s always excellent “Then & Now” photos.

Neighbouring blog the Kentish Towner published an interesting take on South Hampstead.

You can win a book about the history of the Olympics in Britain (and I’m not talking the 1908 or 1948 Games). There’s also a talk this Wednesday by the authors in West End Lane Books, which is free but please reserve a place.

Coming up
Monday: WHAT public meeting on Camden recyling changes in Emmanuel Church starting 7.30pm
Thursday: Come and support me and my North London team at the Museum of London/Londonist Londoner Challenge.
Sunday: It’s the Kilburn Festival (with events starting on Thursday).

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since June 18th?

It’s been a week of Carrs, buses (or lack of them) and the inevitability of England losing a penalty shootout

Tour de France hopeful Bradley Wiggins spoke of his Kilburn childhood.

A gap in the fence meant Billy Fury Way was open to tracks. Twitter power brought it to the attention of the right people, and it’s getting fixed.

The Ham&High reported on the Black Path’s rise as a crime hotspot.

A man was hit with a bottle in The Betsy Smith.

Five excellent photos were added to the “Hampstead & Kilburn Then & Now”: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

And an even older image of Kilburn, painted by an astronomer, was discussed on the Kilburn History blog.

Monday is the last day to put your name in the ring for my North London quiz team that will take on South, East and West at the Museum of London.

What films are on locally?

Whampgather IX was a big success.

Coming up
Monday is the AGM of CRASH (the South Hampstead residents association), which is in urgent need of an injection of community fervour.
Feng Sushi opens this week.
Part of Mill Lane will be closed next Wednesday as a crane is removed
Kilburn Film Festival starts on Thursday.
Next Saturday and Sunday it’s the Jester Festival (West Hampstead’s answer to the village fete).
Also on Saturday, there’s free dog training and advice in Hampstead Cemetery (!) from 10am-3pm.
And next weekend is the Kingsgate Open Studios weekend as well.

Tweet of the Week
Luckily as both were at #whampgather, this tragedy didn’t come to pass…

What have I missed since June 11th?

Cameron at Leveson, Caroll in Kiev, and more Greek news than there’s been since the Trojan wars. But what’s been happening in West Hampstead this week?

Hampstead Heath was briefly Occupied, largely to hoots of derision from the Twittersphere.

A man had a fatal heart attack on the platform at Finchley Road station.

The Wet Fish Cafe had a starring role at the very start of Silk.

Read about Camden’s Place Shaping document for West Hampstead and what it means for locals.

There was a sad story about Elish’s hair salon in Fortune Green.

An Olympic theme is unveiled for the Kilburn Festival (though surely not actually involving any Olympic logos!).

However, the Olympic Torch won’t be passing through West Hampstead. Apparently, Lately’s isn’t deemed enough of an iconic London landmark.

The bus driver accused of killing a Singaporean student last year is in court.

Karahi Master has become a Peri Peri chicken place. Not sure Nando’s needs to worry just yet.

We learned that Engels owned property in Kilburn that he rented out.

The Film of the Week locally is Cosmopolis.

Tweet of the Week
Amid all the bad news about libraries in recent months, it’s good to see that staff can still deliver customer service.

What have I missed since May 28th?

It’s been a fortnight since the last newsletter and so much has happened in that time… The Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, the England team went to visit former concentration camps, and in other minor news the world economy lurched nearer to collapse and lots more Syrians were killed. But hurrah for lots of boats, eh?

There was more from the local Labour party on the lack of school places in our part of Camden.

I posted some statistics on Virgin Media’s poor internet performance in NW6.

The Gondar Gardens appeal (for the last but one plan) has been adjourned.

Meanwhile, the Iverson Road development (where the garden centre was) have been approved.

Mill Lane has been designated an “Olympic sensitive street”, which means one on which works may create unacceptable delays and disruption during the Olympic period.

A tattoo parlour is opening on Mill Lane where Best Beginnings was.

The lights at the West End Lane end of the Black Path are being fixed.

Parking is no joke in West Hampstead.

Swiss Cottage and St John’s Wood stations get Wifi in the first phase, West Hampstead and Finchley Road miss out.

What did we make of Sunday lunch at The Black Lion?

The Westbury in Kilburn closed – not quite sure why, though they’re saying that they hope to be back in some guise before too long and a new bar will open on the site in September.

Talking of closures, the owners of The Luminaire finally explained some of the reasons behind the end of the venue.

A £5 shop has opened on Kilburn High Road – is this the final sign of gentrification?

Remember all those Luton fans in West Hampstead recently?

Sea Lantern – now operating as a Persian Grill – got a string of good reviews from locals.

Tom’s Diner meanwhile, posted on Spiga and Small & Beautiful.

The Kilburn History blog delved into a South Pacific mystery.

Memories were jogged of Ushi – something of a West Hampstead legend in her time.

A man called Dan swam all the Olympic swimming distances back-to-back in Swiss Cottage pool.

West Hampstead Life got mentioned in The Guardian in an extract from a book about hyperlocal media.

Kilburn’s Job Centre joined Twitter @JCPKilburn, as did the Jester Festival @JesterFestival.

Whampgather on June 24th sold out quickly, as usual. You can always add yourself to the waiting list.

The first #whampfilm event also sold out in double-quick time.

There were a string of West Hampstead Jubilee events.

Fancy the cinema this week? Check out the local film listings, including those easily-missed one-off screenings.

Coming up
The next Area Forum is on June 19th.

Photo of the Fortnight
The Battle of Britain fly past came directly over West Hampstead and was captured by @photografter

What have I missed since May 21st?

There was sun. And no other news. Ok, there was some other news, but mostly there was sun. And what did it illuminate in West Hampstead I hear you asking yourselves?

The mother of the young man murdered in Swiss Cottage last year shows astonishing compassion.

More chaos on the Jubilee Line as one of the new Jubilee-liveried trains broke down and people had to walk down the tracks.

A list from our local ward councillors of some local events this summer.

Crime rates in all categories are down in Swiss Cottage ward.

Local historians Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms launched a new website and have some new books coming out soon.

Was there paranormal activity in West Hampstead back in the 1950s?

The Feng Sushi sign is up.

The Tricycle’s screening of the Woody Allen documentary is this week’s Film of the Week.

Whampgather IX will be June 24th – apologies that details aren’t quite finalised yet; any day now! Newsletter subscribers will be the first to hear, and there are just 50 places this time.

I’ve now heard the butcher is definitely not opening on West End Lane as planned, but is still looking into other West Hampstead opportunities.

Tweet and Photo of the Week
The sun has brought everyone’s cameras out – there were more contender for Photo of the Week than for Tweet of the Week.
Tweet of the Week goes to @WELBooks for something a little different (and because I’m a Delta Blues fan).

Photo of the Week goes to @AdamJWilson for this well-timed snap of (dis)mounted police in Fortune Green.

What have I missed since May 14th?

Chelsea finally won the Champions League, Greece teeters ever more precariously on the brink, and the Olympic torch was allowed to fly business class to the UK. But what was happening in West Hampstead?

The Gondar Gardens campaign continues.

The West Hampstead-based police employee convicted of stealing from Scotland Yard escaped a custodial sentence.

See exactly how local wards voted in the London elections, with analysis.

Football fans took over West Hampstead for much of the weekend, first Blackpool, and then an unprecendented number of Luton fans on Sunday.

What did we make of One Blenheim Terrace at whampreview?

West Hampstead gets a mention from Thor himself on Capital Radio.

Homes and Property magazine raved about Kilburn.

Camden’s new mayor, Heather Johnson, is a long-time West Hampstead resident.

Camden’s parking consultation has started.

What’s on at the local cinemas this week?

Sea Lantern is now a Persian Grill.

There was an update from our local cllrs on policing and Blackburn Road.

Two Jubilee line trains received special Jubilee livery.

Scaffolding is starting to come down at the new Emmanuel School site on Mill Lane.

Coming up
It’s a long way off, but stick July 22nd in your diaries: it’s #whampbbq. Details soon.

Tweet of the Week
Very high standard this week, but this one made me laugh the most.

What have I missed since May 8th?

It was a week for hair: Vidal Sassoon, Rebekah Brooks and Roberto Mancini. But what had us scratching our heads in West Hampstead this week?

Camden refused permission for the proposed development of Gondar Gardens. The developers are likely to appeal, and their appeal for the first “teletubby” proposal, which was rejected last year, will be heard later this month.

I’ve been hearing mixed messages about the arrival of the butcher on West End Lane. It seems that at the very least it won’t be opening until later in the summer.

There were two bank robberies on Finchley Road, HOB salon was broken into and there was a rather bizarre incident at The Brondes Age.

You can now catch up on the local independent cinemas’ screenings every week.

Vivi Nails on Broadhurst Gardens has closed and the unit is up for rent.

Work has started on the tennis courts on Lymington Road where the girls school will be moving to for two years.

Cllr Sarah Hayward won the Camden Labour leadership election, and therefore leadership of the council.

Coming up
Friday: a free outdoor screening of “Breaking Away” on Fortune Green (weather permitting).
On May 21st, the Maida Vale tweet-up “elgingather” takes place for those of you over in that neck of the woods.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since April 30th?

Boris and François won, Nick and Brian lost, Ken retired (yeah, right) and it still continued to rain. But what else did the first week of May have to say for itself in West Hampstead?

The Mayor and London Assembly elections were big news on Thursday and Friday. By now we all know the overall results, but how did we vote locally, and how did that compare to 2008?

Police, family and friends are still looking for missing actor Richard Gent. Meanwhile, a 14-year-old missing from her West Hampstead home for two months has been found “safe and well” in Kings Cross station.

There was a car accident on West End Lane on Tuesday.

Camden Police want to speak to 26 year-old Dean Hughes following random knife attacks in Kilburn.

GARA (Gondar Area Residents Association) has issued a call for financial support so it can contest the developer’s latest plans for Gondar Gardens, which will go before Camden on Thursday.

Fordwych Residents Association will hold a social event on June 2nd to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee.

WHAT published a summary of its April meeting.

West Hampstead featured in The Times’ Bricks & Mortar property section. The article is behind the paywall, but i’ve reprinted a few extracts.

Keith Chegwin was spotted with a camera crew roaming the streets around Fordwych Road on Friday. A glance at his Twitter feed suggests it was for PR company Hill + Knowlton.

The proposed Camden eruv, which includes West Hampstead, could slot into a set of eruvs across north-west London.

Coming up
Comedy for recent parents and expectant mothers with Lucy Porter at The Good Ship Sunday 13th May at 1.30pm

Tweet of the week
Haven’t done an “ooh, look at Kilburn” TOTW for a while, but this one made me laugh

What have I missed since April 23rd?

In a week where Rupert Murdoch skewered everyone in reach, a man threw computers out of a 5th floor window, and where it just kept on raining, was there any news in West Hampstead to make the headlines… You bet.

Camden police are trying to find 27 year-old Richard Gent, last seen at his West Hampstead home on Saturday. Call 0800 555 111 or 101 with any information.

The Neighbourhood Development Forum continues to make progress. It “can’t ban Tesco’s but can encourage retail diversity”.

In other planning news, I wrote about The mayor’s final report on 187-199 West End Lane, and
The new(ish)/revised plans for Gondar Gardens will go before the planning committtee on May 10th; Camden’s recommendation is to approve it.

Smoke from a big fire at a scrap metal yard at Willesden Junction was clearly visible from across London.

At the first ever #lovewhamp singles night we raised £195 for The Winch.

The Black Lion opened on West End Lane after a major refurb and repositioning. Initial reports have been positive.

Armed police were spotted on Quex Road, but were executing a pre-planned search.

Four teens were convicted of the murder in Swiss Cottage last April.

Local lobbying and campaign group WHAT is meeting street inspectors to get rid of rubbish,fly tipping and broken computer boxes. If you have examples, please let them know via Twitter or e-mail ().

WHAT’s March meeting with First Capital Connect discussed improvements to the Thameslink station.

Team Roast completed their review of local Sunday lunch options.

Read a review of April’s supper club at The Kitchen Table.

Today is the last day to put your name in the hat for #whampreview at One Blenheim.

The seemingly struggling Sea Lantern is changing tack again. The sign says it’s “under new management”, I’m left wondering if it’s still the same ownership though.

Ladudu meanwhile celebrated a year of operation.

75 years ago, there was a report of a “singing mouse” in Finchley Rd, meanwhile, in 1942 there was a murder in Kilburn.

Due to a typo, there has been some confusion as to where Iceland is opening on Finchley Road. It’s moving into the old Peacocks née Woolworths site.

The well-liked Sgt Parry of Swiss Cottage Safer Neighbourhoods has been replaced by Sgt Jason Collins.

Apparently OxjamKilburn could make a welcome return in the autumn.

Camden’s full parking review has been pushed back to May, though some changes have already come into effect.

Another person fell under a train at Finchley Road, the air ambulance took them to hospital.

A new Olympics travel congestion map was published, but yet again it says that West Hampstead won’t be busier than normal, which is simply (literally) incredible, especially when you remember that as well as having two routes to Stratford, we are also en route to St John’s Wood and Wembley – two other Olympic venues. Mind you, the regular failures on the Jubilee Line last week suggest it’s the last way you want to use to get to the Olympic Park even though the Jubilee is one of the three lines TfL believes will be under severe pressure.

Coming up
Want to get involved at The Winch? Tonight could be your chance.
There’s also an exhibition of iPhone photographs of West Hampstead tonight from 7.30pm at West Hampstead Community Centre.
Don’t forget to vote on Thursday for the Mayor of London and the Barnet & Camden London Assembly member. If you don’t vote, you can’t whinge about it afterwards. Them’s the rules.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since April 16th?

Imagine it: sunshine and showers in April. But what’s been happening between the downpours in the finest neighbourhood in Old London Town? No, I don’t mean St John’s Wood.

Tragically, a woman died at Finchley Road tube station on Monday.

Netherwood Day Centre has finally been saved from closure.

Acol Nursery will be transferred from the council to a parents group.

West Hampstead is getting a weekly market – get your views in quickly for what sort of market you’d like to see.

Planning news aplenty: Abbey Area, Hampstead Cricket Club, and a round-up of everything else.

A butchers, Feng Sushi, and a new salon: it’s all change up near West End Green.

Cutting Crew has taken over from Gigi Barbers on West End Lane.

The new (Old) Black Lion decided to embrace Twitter – there was both confusion over the name, and some fallout over prices. It opens this Thursday.

Costa Coffee on West End Lane was broken into early last week. Apparently only coffee syrup was stolen!

Some of you saw some drama (literally) on the Thameslink service on Thursday.

On the evening of May 18th, there’ll be a free outdoor film screening of Oscar winning coming-of-age film Breaking Away on Fortune Green. Put it in your diaries.

Brioche has had a paint job.

Tom found room for a Wet Fish Café crumble.

What did we make of Guglee when we subjected it to the whampreview treatment?

Kilburn’s Powers bar has revamped its website.

Congrats to HampsteadCC’s women’s team who took silver in a 6-a-side competition last Sunday.

Karahi Master appears to have closed (although last I announced this, it was a false alarm).

Tweet of the Week
Really more for the hashtag than anything:

What have I missed since April 2nd

Two weeks of local news to catch up on, so we’ll dive straight in.

Camden Development Control Committee voted in favour of the Abbey Area development and the Hampstead Cricket Club/South Hampstead Girls School temporary relocation. Full details on the website this week.

The application for the Kilburn Feis festival during the Olympics was completely withdrawn (the annual Kilburn Festival goes ahead as planned on July 8).

A local couple admitted selling goods stolen from the Met.

Kilburn Gaels player Cathal Forde died suddenly during training.

Walnut has closed, to be replaced by Feng Sushi. Bon Express has also closed.

Emmanuel School will add an extra 30-child reception class this coming year.

A woman fell between the carriages of a tube train at Swiss Cottage station, but was fortunately not seriously injured.

“Professor Whitestick” gave us a guide to changing stations in West Hampstead from a visually impaired person’s perspective.

West Hampstead hockey team clinched a second straight promotion.

Local sixth-former Arthur Gallimore is running 12 marathons in 20 days for charity.

Oscars Den and The Wet Fish Café both launched new websites.

The South Kilburn regeneration scheme has taken its next step.

Do you want to donate to the Kilburn Plaque scheme? The next one is for George Orwell

Whampreview at Guglee was a success – full write up this week.

April 12th’s Rush Hour Crush in the Metro featured West Hampstead.

Local estate agents Martin & Wright stumbled across a guy behaving oddly at West Cottages – turned out he was wanted by the police for burglary.

Not registered to vote in the Mayoral elections? Do so by April 18th. More Mayoral and London Assembly coverage on the website this week.

Kodak Kilburn posted a nice colour photo of Kilburn High Road ca 1905, and there were also historic photos of St Cuthbert’s on Fordwych Road and West End Lane in 1959.

The West Hampstead breakfast blog tackled Mill Lane Bistro and Brioche.

The Railway now serves Costa coffee.

The Mill Apartments on Mill Lane will apparently sell for between £383,000 and £1.4 million.

In a week where horse racing made the news for good and bad reasons, here’s a photo of our favourite race horse Kilburn.

Tweet of the Fortnight

What have I missed since March 26th?

VAT on pasties, postage stamp rises, and petrol panic at the pumps! But what was pertinent for the people of West Hampstead as March petered out?

City Hall gave the all-clear to the large development at 187-199 West End Lane.

Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick mentioned this development on the campaign trail.

A Loomis van was robbed outside Sainsbury’s on West End Lane in broad daylight. Police quickly recovered the getaway car, but are yet to catch the robbers as far as I know.

West Hampstead will be one of the first Overground stations to get WiFi (and it will remain free after the Olympics).

Iceland looks like its moving into Finchley Road.

The CNJ covered the scaled down plans for the Feis festival during the Olympics.

Is a new WH Smiths opening at the Thameslink station?

Fabric magazine ran a spread (puff piece) about West Hampstead: Page 1 & Page 2.

A meeting in Swiss Cottage about HS2 seemed to go nowhere fast.

A new knitting club has started on Thursday evenings at Sainsbury’s O2. Contact @MrsChurchman for more details.

There were blogs on Pizza Express, and Banana Tree.

West Hampstead men’s hockey team were knocked out of the HA Trophy by Guernsey.

Tom went to Guglee, which will be the location of the next #whampreview on April 12th (put your name in the hat by Tuesday).

I posted the write-up of the last whampreview at Little Bay.

Coming up
Monday: Actor and writer George Layton is doing a reading and Q&A at Brioche (7.30pm).
Wednesday: Digital Switchover – you’ll need to retune your TVs/set-top boxes if you want to carry on watching television (you’ll need to do it again on the 16th).

Tweet of the Week
Stiff competition this week, but I rather liked this from @PNKnox

What have I missed since March 19th?

The sun came out this week, but what was the illuminating news in West Hampstead?

The London mayoral election campaign got underway and Ken Livingstone kicked off on home turf: Kilburn.

Harry Potter actor and West Hampstead resident Jamie Waylett was jailed for his part in the August riots.

West Hampstead men’s hockey team achieved a second consecutive promotion.

Kilburn residents aren’t keen on yet another amusement arcade opening on the High Road.

A new Japanese restaurant – Sushi Kou – opened in Fortune Green Road. An initial report was positive.

David Mitchell, Kilburn’s most eligible bachelor, is offically off the market.

Vince Power has drastically reduced the scale of his proposed Feis festival during the Olympics.

The Kitchen Table summed up all that’s good about Mill Lane.

If you’re single and live in the area, why not sign up to #lovewhamp – a singles night on April 25th that will also raise money for The Winch.

Coming up
On Tuesday “Sing in Spring“.
Tuesday’s also when the GLA will consider the 187-199 West End Lane development.
From Wednesday, the Kingsgate Workshop Trust is showing UAL students’ work until April 19th.
Fantastic jive/jazz band Kai’s Cats perform at La Brocca on the 29th.

Tweet of the Week
Keeping it simple this week:

What have I missed since March 12th?

Mother’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Rebekah Brooks arrested, and cricketing god Sachin Tendulkar finally scored his hundredth international century. Busy week beyond the West Hampstead borders. Was anything to exciting happening closer to home?

There was a public meeting about the proposed lengthy festival in Kilburn Grange park over the Olympics. There are some watered down proposals, but the details remain unclear.

I wrote a round up of the lively the parking debate from last week (more pay & display needed, or too much traffic already?).

The proposed housing development on the old Iverson Rd garden centre site was due to be given the yes/no decision by Camden on Thursday, but debates on other plans in the borough took so long, the decision has been deferred.

Do you know anyone who might be eligible for help with the switch to digital-only TV broadcasts?

Sea Lantern’s has decided to move from being a fish & chips place to a pizzeria. Odd.

Even 100 years ago “signal failure” was causing problems on the tube around here.

The West Hampstead breakfast blog turned its attention to Pumpkin Café on Fortune Green.

The old Benihana site by Swiss Cottage will become a Shisha Lounge.

Camden council leader Nash Ali resigned.

Coming up
Local boy and rising comedy star Sam Wong does his first gig at the Good Ship this Monday. A fiver on the door for four acts – come along and support Sam on his home turf!

Next Saturday, Sington Nursery on Broomsleigh Street, a charity and a Camden Community Nursery, is having a “Nearly New” fundraising sale of children’s clothes, toys, books, games etc (for newborns to 5 years old) from 10am-1pm.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since March 5th?

Amid solar storms and international women’s day (50% of the population, 0.2% of the days?), it was a relatively quiet week in West Hampstead, so what were the highlights?

Hampstead School in Westbere Road was praised highly by Ofsted insepctors.

Netherwood Day Care centre secured another reprieve.

A West Hampstead man was convicted of being involved in a Ponzi scheme.

WHAT published its latest minutes.

On the website:
The fate of 187-199 West End Lane rests with City Hall.
The Neighbourhood Development Forum had it second meeting.
We tried to decide where the best Sunday lunch is in West Hampstead & Kilburn.
Tom went to Woody Grill.
A new deli opened on the Kilburn High Road.

You can now collect Amazon parcels from lockers in the O2 centre.

Photo of the Week
Amid a crop of sunset photos, we had a clear winner

What have I missed since February 27th?

It’s been a week where a horse has been the major talking point in the news. Surely something more meaningful happened in West Hampstead?

Camden council approved the large 187-199 West End Lane development, despite strongly worded objections from WHGARA, among others.

Will the council also approve Vince Power’s 18 day Irish festival in Kilburn?

Last Sunday, a five-year-old was saved from the Finchley Road tube tracks by a driver

Camden council tax has been frozen again for 2012/13.

The opening hours for West Hampstead library will change when it reopens in April.

A Kilburn man has been banned from the High Road and surrounding streets.

Developers are proposing to convert the old Luminaire music venue on Kilburn High Road into student flats.

Burglars have been breaking into West Hampstead shops through tiny windows and gaps. However, crime is actually down in Swiss Cottage ward.

The press – local and national – had a field day with our crimefighting cleric.

West End Lane could be getting a butchers in June, in the Chinese acupuncture place next to Dominos.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since February 20th?

Lots of news this week, so we’ll crack on with it.

We seem to be experiencing a mini crime wave in the area, with burglaries and robberies up, as well as some more violent assaults. A woman who is six months pregnant was attacked with a knife near Kilburn tube on Monday. She fended off the attackers without suffering serious injury to her or her unborn baby.

A 16 year-old boy was stabbed by the O2 centre on Saturday, causing chaos as Finchley Road had to be closed for a couple of hours. The victim is said to be stable in hospital; police are appealing for witnesses.

Four people were arrested after another stabbing in Kilburn on Wednesday.

A prolific burglar out on licence was caught red-handed by local vicar Father Andrew Cain and his clergy with his hand in the church safe. Meanwhile, houses in Lymington Road and Sherriff Road were targeted by burglars.

Kilburn High Road’s dedicated Safer Neighbourhood Team will now share a seargeant with Camden’s Kilburn ward SNT.

At the Crediton Hill Residents Association, actor Greg Wise expressed his fears over “stilletos on the wicket”, as locals debated the plans for South Hampstead School to move onto the cricket club grounds (which it owns) for two years. Other residents were more concerned with parking, traffic and noise.

Camden’s large-scale plans to redevelop the Abbey area estates will have to go to City Hall having been deemed non-compliant.

The man who was told to stop using his flat as a workshop, is now to be evicted.

Diane West is West Hampstead Community Centre’s new manager. The centre in Dornfell Street will host an art gallery day on the last Monday of every month, starting today.

Concern is being expressed at Vince Powers’ application for a Feis festival village in Kilburn Grange Park for the duration of the Olympics, with a 2am licence on Fridays and Saturdays.

Meanwhile, the Tricycle Theatre will host the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic delegation.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill bought out Peacocks, but the Finchley Road branch will be closed. Specsavers has opened next door though.

47 Fairfax Road (currently trading as Hampstead Gallery Antiques) has been refused planning permission to become a takeaway, on the basis that it would result in an increase in late night activity, noise and disturbance.

Remember the story of the café refused planning permission due to an autistic child? The owners are appealing. They’ve restricted the new plan to just a café with no deli and have lots of supporting information to try and show no noise impact.

West Hampstead men’s hockey team continues its rich vein of form.

There have been endless complaints about Virgin Media broadband’s erratic performance in the area. One customer was told by the company that NW6 will have intermittent problems til mid March.

A new choir is seeking singers of all abilities. Tweet @StMark_HT for information.

Coming up
Musician and journalist Charles Shaar Murray performs tonight at Brioche from 7.30pm.
The next Neighbourhood Development Plan meeting is on the 28th at the Community Centre Dornfell St 7.30pm.
On March 3rd, the Priory Tavern hosts a Welsh night!

Tweet of the Week
After another bad week on the tubes: 

What have I missed since February 13th?

It may have been Valentine’s week, but there was no love lost between David Haye and local boxer Dereck Chisora as they traded blows in Munich. What made the headlines closer to home though?

The West Hampstead and Fortune Green Neighbourhood Development Plan got rolling.

I reported back on the previous week’s placeshaping meeting.
 
A man living rough off Billy Fury Way was encouraged into accommodation in the cold weather.

A map shows how much deprivation levels in the area vary.

Police warned residents about a Safer Neighbourhoods scam. Burglaries and attempted burglaries also triggered a warning to close communal doors to flats.

A bus driver suffered GBH on West End Lane on Thursday about 6pm; police are asking for witnesses (020 8721 2697).

A local man was warned he had to stop building large contraptions in his flat.

The Tricycle’s departing artistic director Nicolas Kent spoke to The Guardian about his time at the theatre and reasons for leaving.

Tom roadtested the menu at One Blenheim Terrace.

Greene King updated us on developments at The Lion.

West Hampstead library will close for a month in March.

Sushi Gen will be closed on Tuesdays from now on.

Work starts this week on the “cycle permeability” scheme in West Hampstead. Sherriff Road, Gascony Avenue, and Smyrna Road will NOT be changing to two-way following the consultation. The other roads in scope will be re-signed accordingly.

A review of Camden’s parking controls starts in March.

Tweet of the Week
Another week of stiff competition, but as it was Valentine’s week, this one seemed by far the most appropriate. Ahem.

What have I missed since February 6th?

The NHS bill contitnues to unite doctors, nurses and every other medical professional in abject horror, Whitney Houston died, and there was more snow in West Hampstead. Just another week really.

There was a robbery on Smyrna Road last Tuesday. Police have increased patrols in the area.

Roadworks on the northern reaches of West Hampstead/Finchley Road will hamper traffic this week.

South Hampstead High School is seeking to put temporary buildings (for two years) on part of Lymington Rd cricket club grounds during school renovations.

West End Lane’s newest restaurant, Guglee, had its soft launch. 

There was a “place shaping” meeting on Wednesday to help Camden refine the Action plan for the West Hampstead place shaping report.

Fortune Green councillors posted some images of how the latest Maygrove Road development will look.

The new West Hampstead Buisness Forum has launched a petition for more pay & display parking in West Hampstead (not sure where). Sign the petition in participating shops.

Got a problem with gambling? Gamblers Anonymous meets in Quex Rd on Saturday afternoons.

The Kings Troop finally left St Johns Wood.

Edward Petherbridge’s weekly historical tour of the area tackled Crediton Hill.

Coming up
Tricycle International Film Festival.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since January 30th?

Facebook filed for IPO, Sarkozy said France needed German-style reforms, and snow hit London. One of these things received a lot more attention on Twitter than the others.

Yes, there was snow. It led to lots of nice pictures, but surprisingly little disruption on Sunday morning. Camden’s winter weather pages have all the information regarding gritting, closures, helping the elderly etc.

The Lion is closing. It’s hard to get the detailed facts, but the rumours are that it’s going to become a gastropub under new owners. They’ll need to fix the awning.

The Rotisserie, the steak restaurant on Fortune Green, has closed.

The old Thameslink entrance re-opened with ticket barriers, the ticket machine is still a couple of weeks away though.

The gas works at Fortune Green/Finchley Road should be done.

The consultation date for 187-199 West End Lane has moved to Feb 14th, meanwhile, City Hall has said the application is “non-compliant“.

Planning application is also in for 163 Iverson Road (site of the old garden centre).

And for Gondar Gardens  (enter ref: 2012/0521/P).

AND, if you want to look at the plans for the Abbey estates (Belsize Rd/Abbey Rd area), use 2012/0096/P in the planning search engine.

Local lobbying group WHAT has joined Twitter @WHATNW6

Kilburn (Camden) ward councillors published their Jan/Feb newsletter.

The fight is on to save a Cotleigh Road apple tree.

There’s a new blog focused entirely on breakfast in West Hampstead.

Bake-a-boo is making major changes to opening hours.

A West Hampstead small business struck it big after being featured on the BBC’s Sherlock.

Blue Daisy has joined forces with West End Lane Books in a cross-business discount scheme.

Belsize Road’s Cocoa Exchange has joined Twitter.

The King’s Troop leaves St John’s Wood barracks this week, so no more cavalcade of cavalry up West End Lane in the mornings.

A “Lebanese loop” was discovered in West End Lane Sainsbury’s cash machine on Wednesday. Do be vigilant when using ATMs.

In other ATM news – all First Capital Connect ATMs will be free as of mid-Feb/early March and one will be installed at West Hampstead Thameslink apparently.

Swiss Cottage youth charity, The Winch, will take over the running of Belsize Library.

The second #whampbooks event at West End Lane Books  on Tuesday was a big success, with lots of locals dropping in for wine and books. Look out for more events like this in the future.

Tweet of the Week
I don’t normally go for grumbly tweets about businesses in Tweet of the Week, but this one rather tickled my fancy.

What have I missed since January 23rd?

I’ve got over the snub of not being invited to Davos this year to join the world’s most influential people. Nor have I been troubled by the ethics of accepting a large bonus from taxpayers, so all in all it’s been a quiet week personally… but LOADS has happened in the area, so lets crack on!

On Monday, a Thameslink train overshot West Hampstead and had to reverse. Rush hour fun.

And on Tuesday, a motorbike caught fire on Shoot Up Hill. Luckily no-one was hurt.

Time is ticking on when you can submit your views on the 200+ apartment development on West End Lane.

West Hampstead’s Placeshaping plan is available in draft form.

Local actor and author Edward Petherbridge (whose blog is a treasure trove of West Hampstead history by the way) penned an ode to Mill Lane.

Camden has had to axe the play service that accompanies the award-winning adventure playground in Kilburn Grange Park.

Remember the consultations over 20mph speed limits and two-way cycling on one-way streets? Some of it’s being implemented, and some of it isn’t.

A dog from Fortune Green was kidnapped, held for ransom, and then reclaimed in a police sting operation. It’s really like we’re living The Wire here.

Does this mean all dogs in the area are now shitting themselves in fear?

Movers and Shapers on West End Lane has a new physio service starting Feburary 8th run by HFS Clinics.

Karl Pilkington and Warwick Davis were filming in West End Lane Books on Friday.

Camden’s “Impact of the Olympics on your business factsheet” doesn’t mention West Hampstead – a key transport interchange – at all. Let alone the fact that nearby Wembley and Lords are both Olympic venues.

In Olympics and Jubilee year, the council is expecting a surge in temporary event notices, so plan ahead.

The Ham & High’s Heathman diary has caught up with the late 20th century and gone online. It launched with a little West Hampstead story (albeit one that confuses Maxine Peake and Claire Skinner).

The issue of trees in Priory Road has been causing concern.

At least two (that I know of) #whampers have made it through auditions and will appear in the Olympics opening ceremony. Congratulations to Laura and Kate.

Those of you the Brent side of the High Road might be interested in this application to turn a 79 room hostel on Priory Park Road into a 176 room hostel.

The new Thameslink station was covered in The Architects’ Journal.

Another global #whampgather took place – this time in Sydney.

@LuckyLuque is trying to start a Subbuteo league. If you have to ask what that is, then it’s probably not for you.

I posted a few alternative local Valentine’s Day suggestions – getting in early.

Coming up
Monday: Learn how you can contribute to The Winch. Maybe you don’t think you have the skills it needs? Well, you probably do.
Tuesday: Nasim Ali, leader of Camden Council will hold his first ever webchat at 3pm and is soliciting questions.
Tuesday: #whampbooks From 7-9pm call in to West End Lane Books, where blog readers and twitter followers can get free wine and 20% of all books. Should be a great night.
Friday: Legendary Notting Hill born DJ Norman Jay plays his first London gig of the year at The Westbury.

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since January 16th?

While royal yachts came and went, what was floating your boat in West Hampstead?

There was a major fire in the Taplow tower in Swiss Cottage. Candles and a lot of newspaper were believed to be the cause of the accident on the 17th floor last Monday. Amazingly, no-one was hurt after fire crews evacuated 130 people from the 22-storey building.

Sustaninable development initiative Transition West Hampstead relaunched with a grow-your-own food project, and a “draught-busting” scheme for locals in older houses, especially with sash windows.

The deadline for submitting your views on the 187-199 West End Lane Ballymore development draws nearer. More on the blog this week.

An appeal was launched to raise £60,000 for a local child to have an operation in America so he can walk.

After yet more glorious sunrises and sunsets, there’s now a West Hampstead Views Pinterest page that collects some of the best (and a few other local snaps).

Those of you in Brent no longer need to separate your recycling.

Peacocks, with stores on Kilburn High Road and Finchley Road, went into administration. It is hoped that it will be sold as a going concern and the shops will remain.

Part of West End Lane was resurfaced after contractors used the wrong type of tarmac first time round.

A man suffered a cardiac arrest by Kilburn High Road station on Friday.

BBC legal drama Silk took over The Wet Fish Cafe for filming on Wednedsay.

The Kitchener is on Twitter @JNCookshop.

New restaurant Sea Lantern has closed already!

Tom enjoyed his Priory Tavern tart.

Coming up
Jan 31st Whampbooks at West End Lane Books: 7-9pm, 20% of all books, and free wine!

Tweet of the Week

What have I missed since January 9th?

It was a hectic week in the world of West Hampstead between police helicopters and the biggest Whampather yet. So lets dive straight in.

A large police operation on Tuesday afternoon caused consternation as the police helicopter hovered over West Hampstead. A man with an airgun was holed up in a block of flat in Childs Hill and was later arrested and charged with criminal damage.

A man was found hanging from a basketball hoop in Hilgrove Road on Wednesday morning. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

HS2 is back on the agenda, and will pass through South Hampstead although homes around here shouldn’t need to be demolished. HS2 would also mean the end of the Queens Park to Euston section of the Overground.

Local MP Glenda Jackson asked about HS2 in the Commons; here’s a list of Glenda’s surgeries through June.

Thameslink says the northern (old) entrance won’t reopen until Jan 30th – it was supposed to be mid-January but apparently they’ve had to redesign how the ticket machines are mounted.

Brent’s Kilburn ward posted a news update.

There are some Kilburn High Road retail units available (around WH Smiths).

The two Café Bons, are no longer owned by the same person – the original one may need to change its name.

Are the Liberal Democrats invincible in Fortune Green?

The beleaguered West Hampstead Community Centre is looking for a new manager.

Whampgather was a big success, and we raised £530 for The Winch.

Tweet of the Week

Photo of the Week
After a week of glorious sunsets and dramatic sunrises, here’s the pick of the bunch courtesy of @SJAttree

What have I missed since December 19th?

It’s been a while since the last news round-up. Happy New Year, and all that jazz. Hope everyone enjoyed their break and thanks to those who came to #whampdrinks the week before Christmas. It’s been a fairly quiet time around West Hampstead, but amid the wind and the rain there have been a few things afoot.

The planning application for 187-199 West End Lane is in. It’s enormous.
You’ll need this reference: 2011/6129/P for this form.

South Hampstead tower block residents suffered flooding after the theft of metal pipes (which also hindered the fire service’s rescue)

TfL announced a £3.4 million investment in Camden – including the contentious 20mph speed limit and two-way cycling schemes in West Hampstead as well as signage improvements between the three WH stations.

Meanwhile, West Hampstead featured in a short BBC news piece about TfL fare rises.

It used to be so different – one of the best “Then and Now” photos yet?

Camden’s police force is trying Twitter again. And a new account: @WHlocalplod also began

Some news on our local eateries:
Bake-a-boo is closing weekdays in January.
Me Love Sushi has opened (on the former Strada site).
Spiga is now open 7 days a week, and there’s 10% off for take-away (collection).
Bon Express seems to be expanding into groceries!
Guglee is the restaurant moving into what was (briefly) Costello’s.

A tree blew over on Pandora Rd luckily missing the parked cars.

The utility works on Kilburn High Road finally finished.

The Kings Troop is preparing for its final departure from St John’s Wood. There’ll be no more disruption as 40 horses trot up West End Lane.

Here’s the latest steam train pulling into West Hampstead

Swiss Cottage youth charity The Winch has been confirmed by Camden as a ‘preferred partner’ to run Belsize library.

On the blog
Tom was disappointed by a Moment salad.
I don’t think anyone got all 11 questions right in my Quiz of 2011.
But did any of your predictions for 2011 actually come true?
Jon Kelly won Tweet of the Year.

Finally, #whampgather preparations continue apace. Looking forward to seeing lots of you on Thursday. We’ve got the band, we’ve got the cocktails, we’ve got the DJ, we’re going to blow away the New Year Blues. Tickets have all gone, but always worth chancing your arm on the waitlist.

Coming up
Advance warning of the WHAT AGM on Tuesday 24th January

Tweet of the Week(s)
We’ve got a tweet from the very end of 2011 and a photo from the start of 2012 for you

And a link to the photo of a dog in Kilburn High Road by @sjdowling (‘cos it’s All Rights Reserved).