John Mansook, the young chairman of Brent Greens, and the Green Party candidate for H&K was out for a coffee last month with another member of the Brent Green party discussing how to take the local party forward. The next day Theresa May announced the snap general election, and there swiftly followed an email asking if John […]
If you are wandering down West End Lane you might have noticed a new plaque on the bench opposite Cycle Surgery. It is in memory of Dave Simcock. Who was Dave Simcock? Dave Simcock, who died last year, was a long time committee member of WHAT (West Hampstead Amenity and Transport). On Monday May 22nd, […]
The big news: Hustings on Tuesday at the Sheriff Centre. Doors open at 7:00, starts at 7:30. Next up in our election 2017 interviews: the Conservative candidate for H&K, Claire-Louise Leyland. A man was sentenced for ‘disgusting’ violence on his arrest. Election news If you aren’t registered to vote tomorrow (Monday 22) is your final chance! […]
Claire-Louise Leyland is a Camden councillor for Belsize and for three years has been leader of the Conservative opposition on Camden council. She is also the Conservative candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn in the upcoming general election. Hampstead and Kilburn is one of the Tories’ top target seats – one of the few in London on […]
Don’t know who Kirsty Allan is? Hint – she’s the Liberal Democrat candidate for H&K. We interviewed her. Gabriella, Nazanin’s two-year old daughter, got her passport back. Richard, Gabriella’s father, will be going to visit (he hasn’t seen her for over a year). Opera – in West Hampstead! Election news… Snakes and ladders in H&K (reminder – Tulip won by margin of […]
If you don’t know who Kirsty Allan is… well, you should. She is the Liberal Democrat candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn (H&K). She’s a bona fide local too; she lives over in Queen’s Park, right on the constituency border between H&K and Westminster North. She actually stood for Westminster North in 2015 but after the Brexit vote, […]
We spoke to Father Andrew to get more detail on his resignation, and how he will miss West Hampstead. Will West Hampstead like Rosa’s Thai Cafe? The Thameslink bus stop just disappeared. Without any notice. Cue much huffing and puffing on Twitter. But HUGE sigh of relief, TFL assure us it will be replaced. Election […]
Last Sunday Father Andrew announced that he was retiring as priest of St. Mary’s with All Souls, Kilburn and St. James, West Hampstead. The story was picked up by the Sunday Times, Independent and Guardian. You can even hear it in his own words on Radio 4’s Sunday programme (skip to 7:23). As Stephen, Father […]
It was Bank Holiday Monday, we were on the way back from a swim at Swiss Cottage, and feeling a bit peckish. Time to try West Hampstead’s newest kid in town – Rosa’s Thai Cafe. We were not alone. The place was pretty full when we arrived past 1pm and got even fuller over lunch. The […]
The Conservatives chose their candidate, setting up all female fight for H&K. (More election news below). Father Andrew is stepping down as vicar of St. James Church citing the Church of England as being ’institutional homophobic”. There was a ‘clock up’ at West Hampstead Square. Some liked it , while others thought it looked like a […]
London Farmers’ Market, which runs the West Hampstead market, has an annual competition to find customers favourite stall at each market. In West Hampstead, the winner (again) was Brinkworth Dairy. So who better for WHL’s next Insight. Brinkworth Dairy is run by Ceri and Chad Cryer (helped by their young three boys and other family members) […]
The local Conservative party held its constituency selection meeting last night in the Dennington Park Road synagogue hall – a special general meeting called at short notice after Theresa May’s surprise election announcement. Hampstead & Kilburn is a key target seat for them. The local party had sent a shortlist to Central Office which initially […]
Theresa May announced a snap general election. Election fever hit West Hampstead, again (includes summary of the state of play). However, ironically, the Tories have been caught on the hop has they don’t have a candidate, yet. They are deciding this week. A Brexiteer or not a Brexiteer, that is the question. Bins continued to be a […]
For the third year running, voting fever is upon us. Hampstead & Kilburn looks like being a key battleground once again as Brexit clashes with broader political and party-political issues to muddy the waters for many voters. To be honest, like Brenda, I’m not sure I can take much more. We love West Hampstead because it’s […]
Recently the Mayor’s office published this map of all the street trees in London – colour coded. This dendrophile’s wet dream covers all of London but if you put your postcode in the top-right corner then you can zoom in on West Hampstead. By unclicking certain dots you can see what West Hampstead would look […]
The new recycling contract is still causing problems, but Camden and Veolia say it is ’98% sorted’. Seems a rather high assessment. There is a new Love Camden app to report fly-tipping. Seems to be working, although ‘bin problems’ is not one of the options. With support from an unexpected quarter. A minor political earthquake […]
There been a ‘pop-up’ take-over of our usual food reviewer’s spot, Tom’s Diner, as WHL pulled rank to review Summer’s dining. As we reported a couple of weeks ago, three young guys have taken over the Sir Colin Campbell on Kilburn High Road and are collaborating with Ruairidh Summers, an ex-St. John’s chef on his […]
West Hampstead made the (inter)national news in a report on Nazanin’s year in prison. Camden’s new waste contract started. In West Hampstead it wasn’t exactly smooth. Alice House decking was given the OK by the Planning Inspector. This week saw a successful Whampsocial at Bobby F’s. The first organised by Adrian and Emily – (thank […]
One year ago, today, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was just a hassled mum trying to get to the airport with a toddler. It was the end of a two week trip to Tehran to visit her parents for Nowruz (Persian New Year). However, instead of returning to her normal life back here in West Hampstead, she was arrested […]
Sunday saw ribbons and messages being tied to a tree on Fortune Green, to mark a year since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was first arrested in Tehran. It was a moving event with local support and a big press turnout. Tulip has been trying her best to support Nazanin, but couldn’t make it on Sunday. Still, we […]
Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead & Kilburn, is a busy working mother and her baby daughter Azalea is going through a naughty, determined, stage at the moment. After her mother’s recent haranguing of “smirking” foreign secretary Boris Johnson in the House of Commons, perhaps we know where Azalea gets it from. We sat down with […]
Tulip spoke about the response to the Westminster incident last week in Parliament, the Prime Minister was grateful for her comments. Telly historian Lucy Worsley dropped into West Hampstead to talk to 300 local kids about history. And they loved it! What did you get your mother (or your kid’s mum) for mother’s day? One […]
Cocoa Bijoux is an, erm, bijou, little chocolate shop down on Broadhurst Gardens. Except it isn’t just a chocolate shop. Stuart Daniel, the owner, wanted it be more interesting than a pure chocolate shop. It’s a good source if you are looking for a special present to take friends who’ve invited you for dinner. Or want […]
Ladudu closes its doors for the final time this week. After Ballymore had to take its enormous sign down last week, this week M&S had its application for an illuminated sign at West Hampstead Square turned down by Camden. Meanwhile, Ballymore marketing material seems to think West End Lane has shifted over to the Finchley […]
Mother’s day or Mothering Sunday, is the 26th March. Which is soon. If you haven’t got something for yours, or for younger mums something ‘from’ the kids – what to buy? WHL scooted round the shops in the ‘hood – and this is what caught our eye. Season’s Cookshop said “well it depends how pleased […]
This month West Hampstead says farewell to Ladudu, the rather good Vietnamese restaurant by the stations. We will be sad to see it go but, as you will find out, when one door closes another one opens (in fact two). Teresa considers herself a West Hampstead local as she lives in the area – it’s her […]
This week Ballymore agreed to take down the huge sign it had put up without planning permission. ‘Ballynomore’, as we quipped. Staying with Ballymore, West Hampstead Square (a.k.a. Heritage Square) opened proper. Maybe it’s the weather, but it looks a bit bleak, non? plus the three London plane trees are planted too close together. And the new […]
The NDF has a new head – or rather heads. After five years of steering the Neighbourhood Development Forum, chairman James Earl stepped down at last night’s AGM. James is leaving West Hampstead for pastures new. His replacement(s): NDF treasurer Nick Jackson and former Lib Dem local councillor Keith Moffitt. In the end, the whole […]
UXB NW6. A bomb was discovered on a building site in NW6. It was made safe, taken away and exploded by the army. After last week’s announcement by Camden Council that it is raising Council tax by 4.99% , with 3% ring-fenced to fund social care. An insight into what social care pressures local doctors […]
Last week we looked at job creation in West Hampstead. This week, we turn our attention to housing. In the London Plan 2016, West Hampstead is glamorously referred to as “Area for intensification, number 45”. The original designation dates back to the time Ken Livingstone used to commute to City Hall via West Hampstead and […]
Our last Insight focused on one man with two businesses. This time we’re talking to two women who run one business: Kate Rader and Clare Emburey who run Achillea, the florist on Mill Lane. What brought you to West Hampstead? Clare: We actually met at the tomato stall at Queen’s Park market. Kate, who has known […]
The new M&S opened its doors for a sneak preview. Has West Hampstead met its London Plan job creation targets yet? We did the sums. Lola’s cupcakes is taking over the old Colour Division site, it won’t just be cupcakes though – Lola’s is applying for an alcohol licence. Seems to be a blue theme […]
The reason West Hampstead seems inundated with new developments is that it was designated a “Growth Area” by City Hall. The Growth Area is specifically the part of West Hamsptead around the railway lines. Targets were set for 800 new homes and 100 new jobs between 2010 and 2031. Yes, 2031. Seven years in, we […]
Yes, it’s not just any store opening, it’s an M&S Foodhall opening. Sorry. No doubt some West Hampstead residents (especially those living south of the railway) are counting down the days until the shop opens on February 22nd at West Hampstead Square. As part of its customer engagement, M&S and its contractors Wates offered a […]
As expected 156 WEL was approved by planning committee, after two and half hour of discussion the vote took 10 seconds and was 10-2 in favour of approval. Half the floorspace will be ‘affordable housing’, but you need to be quite rich to buy any. As not expected, there was a robbery near Fortune Green. […]
After a lengthy debate in the council chamber on Thursday, the Labour-dominated planning committee voted 11-2 in favour of the proposed development of 156 West End Lane – the Travis Perkins building. The plan is for 164 residential units along with some retail, office and community space. Four of our local councillors sit on the […]
After many people – including West Hampstead Life – made a fuss about the lack of affordable housing provision in the Liddell Road scheme, Camden promised that the 156 West End Lane scheme would meet the 50% affordable housing quota by floorspace. The development, which was given the go-ahead by the planning committee on Thursday, […]
Some residents of Maygrove and Iverson Roads are fed up with the increasingly difficult parking situation they face in light of all the new developments on these roads. The local residents association, MILAM, wants to see a review of parking hours and is suggesting a sub-zone that has different rules to the CA-Q zone in […]
Proposed changes to bus routes will mean ‘West Hampstead’ may fall out of London’s collective consciousness as the words will no longer appear on the 139 bus as it heads north from Waterloo. Having pulled an earlier consultation on changes to the bus routes that run north on the Baker Street corridor (funnily enough right […]
This past week West Hampstead has been hit by one water mains leak after another. The first was in Fawley Road where one man fought a valiant fight to get it sorted. Others appeared in Achilles Road, Fortune Green Road and West End Lane. They were particularly treacherous when it was icy. Thames Water is […]
John Padalino runs not one but two local businesses – and they are next door to each other. Rock Men’s Salon and Wired Coffee on Broadhurst Gardens. If you don’t know them already, they are a couple of the ‘hipper’ businesses here, but with a mix of typical West Hampstead customers. What brought you West […]
A vintage Porsche crashed into Lena’s cafe on West End Lane, injuring two women. WHL has the exclusive story from one of them + some dramatic photos of the scene. Not good news from Tehran. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s appeal against her five year sentence in Iran was turned down. Bobby F. opened – it’s a timewarp. One […]
Shortly before 3pm on Friday afternoon, a vintage Porsche veered off West End Lane, mounted the pavement and crashed into Lena’s cafe trapping a female customer. The customer, Abigail Cinnamon, was sitting outside with a friend, Jessica Klein. The two 20-year-olds don’t live in the area but had decided to meet up for a ‘quiet coffee’ and […]
Don’t adjust your computer. West Hampstead Life’s fortnightly update has gone back to weekly just as we hear that rubbish collections are going to be fortnightly. Apparently 85% of our waste can be recycled (and recycling collections remain weekly), but many locals are unhappy about the changes. A West Hampstead teen has been found guilty of attempted […]
Got a kids’ party to host? Want to run a kindergarten, teach a yoga class or hold a meeting? These all require venues – but where are the rooms and halls to hire in West Hampstead? Emmanuel Church and the Sheriff Centre are particularly keen to hear from those wanting to start a regular community […]
Just as West Hampstead Square is entering the home stretch to completion, building work is starting on the redevelopment of the Overground station right next door. Expect some noisy work during the days, and the occasional bit of nighttime work when they need access to the track. The reason for the works is that, as […]
At last night’s public Area Action Group meeting in West Hampstead, the council gave plenty of stats on Camden’s waste and recycling. But the numbers that will have stuck in most people’s minds were “once” and “every two weeks”, as councillor Meric Apak confirmed what we reported in August; namely that much (though not all) of West Hampstead will […]
Welcome back West Hampstead and Happy New Year! After the extended break, there is much news. Expect the trains and buses to be VERY busy on Monday as many Underground stations are closed because of a strike through to the end of the day. Here is TFL’s advice. There is a trial at the old […]
Camden has received new daylight and light impact studies for 156 West End Lane. ‘Hang on’, you’re thinking – didn’t it already have them? Well, yes. But, no. But, yes. Daylight studies were originally submitted with the planning application last November for the building itself and another set on its impact on neighbouring properties, plus […]
Camden Council is looking to save £260,000 on public toilets. To do this it proposed closing toilet facilities at West End Green in West Hampstead, as well as those at Pond Square, Highgate and South End Green. As people protested that they might be caught short, the council asked local businesses if they would be […]
The new school on Liddell Road (an extension to Kingsgate School) is opening with spare capacity, three not four form entry. The site for the second phase of Liddell Road will be sold in the new year – but how much for? Latest school SATS tables were released with Kingsgate performing well, but Emmanuel and […]
The Sherriff Centre, which opened in 2014, has settled in well and is now one of the most popular features of the area – especially with parents. It was, and still is, a church, but after some extensive internal modernisation it now offers a host of community facilities: a post office and shop, a café with […]
Liddell Road has a new name. After much careful thought and consideration it has been renamed, wait for it…, “Liddell Place”. Someone suggested an alternative, but for some reason Camden didn’t like it. Where’s Liddell Road? It’s the former council-owned light industrial estate just off Maygrove Road that’s being redeveloped to house an infants school […]
A man was shot and killed on Kilburn High Road on Friday. The man, in his 20s, was Yasir Beshira (also known as Loopy), who lived in a hostel in West Hampstead. A 22-year-old man has been arrested for the murder, but the police are still appealing for witnesses. Brexit rumbles on and last week […]
With just over two weeks to go, it’s beginning to look a LOT like Christmas in West Hampstead. Here’s our seasonal guide to what’s going on around the neighbourhood in the next couple of weeks, including December 25th, and information about practical stuff too. Still need to get a Christmas tree? They’re on sale outside The Sherriff Centre, […]
With Christmas less than a month away (eeek!), time to let you know about twelve events in West Hampstead in the first half of December, to get you into that Christmas mood. To be followed by a Christmas survival guide as we get closer to the day. 1. Kingsgate Studio’s Winter Show 2016 (Thu, 1st […]
Although there is visible progress at West Hampstead Square, it won’t be opening until January, with some flats not ready until March. Buyers waiting to move in are understandably frustrated. And in the rush to finish, work is taking place on Saturday afternoon, in breach of the construction management plan. Camden has refused permission for the […]
West Hampstead Square still isn’t finished. As you will have noticed. Progress is being made as recent tweets show but it’s well overdue, and while it’s annoying for locals as the roads clog up with lorries delivering materials, for those who’ve bought apartments (some of whom are existing West Hampstead residents), the delays are going […]
Popular West Hampstead bar, The Alice House, has fallen foul of Camden’s planners who have refused retrospective planning permission for its outside decking. The Alice House bookends a run of outside seating spaces along that stretch of West End Lane, which includes One Bourbon and The Black Lion. Together, many locals feel they make an attractive ‘active […]
West Hampstead Life is less local than you might think. One of our Australian readers, Barry York has been in touch to ask if we could help find any descendants of George Ross Huckstepp. Apart from having a great surname, Mr Huckstepp was a butcher in Kilburn in the 1940s and 50s. He lived at […]
It was Remembrance Sunday, so we looked back at some local West Hampstead soldiers who died in WW1. The newly refurbished Emmanuel Church is offering a warm welcome to some of Camden’s homeless once a week. We were really excited about this tiny art exhibition on Mill Lane, but it was case of blink and […]
Anwer: “No idea”. But a Neighbourhood Development Forum/Camden Council growth area workshop held on Saturday began to think about it. A masterplan for this was one of the recommendations of the Neighbourhood Plan. If you asked the 30 or so residents, councillors, Camden planners and others who turned out on a dull Saturday afternoon if the […]
Earlier this year, on the anniversairy of the battle of the Somme, our local historians alerted us to the London War Memorial. This is an online database of the thousands of Londoners who died in WW1. On Armistice Day, we thought it would be a good opportunity to remember the 1,000 men of Kilburn and West […]
Just in time for the cold weather, the refurbished Emmanuel Church is helping some of Camden’s homeless. It has joined a project offering overnight accommodation and a warm meal, once a week. From the outside it doesn’t look like much has changed at Emmanuel, but inside the refurbishment is pretty much finished. It now has […]
It’s been ten years since the Kitchen Table opened, yes ten years, and since then it’s become a firm favourite for many a local. Almost all the business is from regulars, some that move abroad but still pop by on their visits home. Having done it for ten years, Jennie Vincent and Tom Leslie are perhaps thinking about […]
You are going to have to look very closely, but there is still one ‘statue’ left of a tiny temporary art exhibition on (and around) Mill Lane. It has been organised by the the gallery/tattooists Monsters of Art, who gave us an insight last month, together with artist Roy’s People. Last month they said that a […]
The plans for 156 West End Lane (Travis Perkins building) have finally been resubmitted. More than 400 documents later, we’ve summarized the main points. Sunlight (or lack of it) is a major issue, but three consultants agree the impact is acceptable. You can submit your comments, and the decision is expected towards the end of the […]
The proposals for 156 West End Lane (aka Travis Perkins) roll on. Two(?), three(?) years after it was first announced, are we into the final stretch? The latest planning application has opened for comments and the deadline is 10th November. To recap The development is for 164 flats of which 79 are affordable (44 social rented […]
Just as the camp monthly quiz night in the Sherriff Centre, which caters to the 20-somethings, was getting started, the Friends of West Hampstead Library were kicking off their ‘evening of Hampstead poetry’, which seemed to appeal to a more mature audience. I’d been to the last quiz (and really enjoyed it), so it seemed […]
La Mer, the fishmongers on Broadhurst Gardens is open only two half days a week (10am to 2.30pm Friday and Saturday), because 95% of Karim Thobani’s business is wholesaling to restaurants in central London (and some local restaurants too). This involves a 2am start to get supplies from Billingsgate market, although some supplies are delivered, […]
Fittingly during ‘National Hate Crimes Awareness week’, the LGBTI rainbow flag flew again over West Hampstead, thanks to the help of the fire brigade. The story was featured on Channel 4 news and BBC local news. WHL guest writer Shalini gave us her take on West End Lane’s brunch options. And apparently new-kid-on-the-block One Bourbon offers another one – with pulled pork! […]
Thanks to the help of the fire brigade St James Sherriff Road once again had it’s LGBT rainbow and trans flags fluttering in the West Hampstead breeze this afternoon. Although it was a brigade from Wembley not West Hampstead that lend a ladder. The flags had been stolen a couple of weeks ago by two young […]
Health food store Peppercorns used to be located opposite the tube station, but when Ballymore began construction of West Hampstead Square, it had to move. Now it’s up by West End Green. We spoke to the owner Mukesh Patel, who has been there for 20 years. He runs it with his brother Nilesh, who joined him in 2002. […]
Hold the front page. A robbery. In West Hampstead. It’s party conference time. First, the Lib Dems, where Keith Moffitt announced he wouldn’t be standing again. Then next up, Labour. After the final Labour hustings, a fortnight ago here in West Hampstead at JW3, the anti-Semitism row seems to rumble on. At conference, former local […]
Last month we started a series of interviews with local independent shop owners. This month we’re talking to Dan Gold from Monsters of Art, a tattoo studio and art gallery. Dan has been a tattoo artist for 25 years, learning his art across the world, so how has he ended up in Mill Lane? What brought […]
The post office at the Sherriff Centre was still closed this morning following the robbery that took place on Saturday afternoon. The café and Hullabaloo soft play centre are open as normal, but post office staff were explaining the temporary closure to a steady flow of customers. One of the staff members, Robert, a familiar […]
Today was the final official day for comments on 153-163 Broadhurst Gardens a.k.a. “Mario’s block” for those of you can remember the Greek restaurant that used to be there. As West Hampstead Life reported nearly three years ago during the first consultation for this site there were two options on offer: traditional or modern. The site […]
Proposed changes to parliamentary constituencies could have a major impact on West Hampstead… and its sitting MP. Nazarin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the West Hampstead mother arrested in Tehran in April while visiting her parents, has been sentenced to five years in prison by a judge, who still didn’t reveal on what formal charge. West Hampstead became a […]
Local Labour MP Tulip Siddiq could face an uphill battle to retain her seat if plans to redraw constituency boundaries come into effect. The Boundary Commission has published proposals, at the request of the government, to reduce the overall number of MPs from 650 to 600 and to more evenly balance the size of constituencies in […]
West Hampstead became a little less colourful last week. Ironically, it was with handwritten note not something printed that Colour Division announced last week that it was closing. It will be missed. Colour Division was not just one of the longest standing business in the area (it was set up in the mid-70s, under Edward […]
Coming up this Saturday and Sunday is Open House 2016 . Open House, which started in 1992, is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes public awareness and appreciation of the capital’s building design and architecture. But with hundreds of sites to see across London, what to visit? It pays to invest a bit of time in research and […]
Light was shed on the Black Path as a group of local turned out Bank Holiday Monday to tackle the worst of the problem. Opening on West End Lane, where Nfes was, is Thunderbird bar. It will be competing against Salt (formerly known as Lower Ground Bar), which is set to open very soon. Just […]
Tired of pounding the pavements alone? Inspired to put on your trainers by the heroics of the GB athletes in Rio? Or just curious as to why you always see a gaggle of neon-clad souls on West End Green every Saturday morning? Well wonder no more! Started on a cold wet February morning in 2015, […]
A fortnight ago WHL asked, How can you help lighten the Black Path?, ending with an invitation to come and help start sorting it out. Those of you who use the Black Path will have seen the difference, for the rest of you, here’s what happened next. A group of West Hampstead residents, fed up with […]
One of the things that gives West Hampstead its character is the independent shops and local groups. We though we’d plan a series (and let’s see where this goes) asking them a few questions about their experiences of the neighbourhood. Where better to start for an insight into West Hampstead than with Kiran Vyas. Kiran has […]
A woman was sexually assaulted on Billy Fury Way. A suspect has been apprehended but the path feels unsafe and questions are being raised about what could be done. As it happens plans for 317 Finchley Road – which included a ten-storey tower, yes ten storeys – proposed adding a new entrance to the path […]
Every morning, and every evening, hundreds of West Hampstead commuters use the Black Path that runs along the railway line to get to or from the stations. But at several points along the path they need to either dodge mounds of ivy or duck beneath tunnels of over-grown shrubs. During the summer this is annoying but, as winter draws […]
In the outer reaches of West Hampstead, where it abuts the Finchley Road (indeed next to Finchley & Frognal Overground station) is 317 Finchley Road. You may know it as the heavily locked former nightclub. It could be transformed into a ten (10!) storey building. Could be. The statutory consultation period for this planning application […]
Camden is planning more changes to waste collection (though it’s managed to increase recycling by just 1 percentage point over the past decade – can we describe their performance as, rubbish?) TFL is consulting on changes to some local bus services including the 139. There was a run of local crime news. Sadly the owner […]
It’s the middle of the summer holidays and Camden Council has announced (controversial) changes to waste collection. It’s yet another change after several over the past few years (e.g. switching from multi-stream to single stream recycling). But despite all these changes recent performance in terms of recycling has been poor. In 2005 Camden beat the target of […]
TfL is consulting – for the second time recently – on changes to buses that run north from the Baker Street area (so not the C11 or 328). The biggest change for West Hampstead is the proposal to extend the 139 route from West End Green to Golders Green. This would have the benefit locally of […]
There’s more than £3 million to be spent in West Hampstead, including half a million to spend on improvements to the interchange area. But all this spending needs a masterplan that Camden keeps postponing citing a lack of resources!. Not that it always takes much to improve the area. The Black Lion has redone its planting […]
What do with church buildings in 2016? The buildings, many Victorian, are too big for today’s congregations and an increasingly diverse and secular London. A couple of years ago St. James Church, just south of the tube station, was converted into the Sherriff Centre. But what you might not know is that redevelopment is underway […]
Camden has £3 million pounds to spend in the area thanks to the arcanely named “Section 106 money”. These are payments made by developers to the council and is allocated for spending in the following areas: community facilities, transport, highways, parks and open spaces, schools, apprenticeships and policy contributions. Yet, as Councillor Flick Rea eloquently stated […]
EU Referendum post-mortem: which was more “Remain” – West Hampstead or Fortune Green? And why was turnout across Camden so average? . On what turned out to be the launch day of her Tory leadership campaign, Theresa May kept a long-standing engagement with local Cconservatives. She thinks she can win the seat back – watch out Tulip! Of course […]
Camden has released more details of the Brexit vote. The results are not strictly ward based (the count was organised in this way for reasons of accuracy) as postal votes were allocated randomly and evenly per ward. With that caveat, the percentage vote in favour of remain in the the local wards was: Hampstead Town 79.72% […]
So, Gail’s opened on time (now that is a surprise for a building project round here) and West Hampstead got all excited. The opening offers added to the buzz but Twitter was all aflutter. Buzzing ,haven't seen this much excitement since the midnight opening @WELBooks for the then new Harry Potter book.! https://t.co/OOEHqcN4WT — Mila Griebel […]
We promised to investigate why ‘West Hampstead Square’ is now known as ‘Heritage Lane’ and here’s the result of our sleuthing. Back in 2014, Ballymore applied to use the ‘West Hampstead’ prefix as the postal address for the development, while it was marketing it as West Hampstead Square. There is a very simple statutory consulting process […]
Just as there exists the fog of war, so it seems there is a fog of planning. A2 Dominion’s redevelopment of 156 West End Lane has been amended and come back again for comments, but it’s not clear where things stand. To add to the fog, the redevelopment is being reviewed by a new planning officer. Technically, […]
Once again West Hampstead pulled off its successful local festival, the Jester Festival on Fortune Green. It started the same year that Britain joined Europe, so this year was the 44th. It was an eclectic mix of funfair, live music and stalls from a host of local groups. If you wanted a glimpse of what […]
