My anonymous commenter on the blog below mentioned that the Prime video rental site had permission to be changed from retail use to professional services use. A quick look at Camden's planning website in fact revealed that Black Katz letting agents requested the change of use. The full application can be found here for those that want the details (the "letter" is the most interesting bit).
Presumably this means Black Katz closing its branch on Broadhurst Gardens which, if nothing else changes, would leave four empty units on the south side of the road (along with Marios, the former café next to the dry cleaners, and the small Broadwell Parade unit next to the florists).
Friday, 30 October 2009
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Newcommers [sic]
A few new faces on West End Lane, and a continuing mystery in Fortune Green.
Alexis the bakery up the north end of West End Lane has shut. To be replaced by... a bakery. But a bright orange bakery, if that makes any difference. There's a Dylan's already in Willesden (170 Church Rd), so presumably orange is a tried and tested formula. The West Hampstead one hasn't opened yet, so no review but here's a picture of it in all its orangeness.
(by the way, the pharmacy next door looks like it's closing down - it's not, it's just being refitted).
Further down towards the tube station, the unit that was X10 computers (a strange den of chipboards, cables and the owner's aphorisms, which acted as some sort of test as to your worthiness as a customer) closed a few weeks ago. It has reopened as Matrix. Nice to see the "x" theme being carried through there. This one has nothing to do with motherboards and hard drives and everything to do with nails and extensions [CORRECTION: it appears to be just a hair salon, not a nail bar]. Perhaps it will make up for the nail bar that closed earlier in the year on Broadhurst Gardens.
Regular readers will remember the Photo of the Week from Digest No.2. Here it is again to refresh your memories.
Of course, they couldn't possibly leave such a huge billboard up with such a bad typo on it, so the board has been changed.
To this.
Oh dear.
The friendly girls who work in that teeny-tiny branch of Goldschmidt & Howland next door gave me a wry smile when I asked about it. It's going to be redone again apparently.
I was actually in their really very small space to try and solve the burning issue of the day: what is the retail space going to be in the very development advertised above. Rumours (some started by @bubela's local shopkeepers again) have been pinging around, and as G&H are selling the flats I thought they might know. They don't. They did try and find out though and I spoke to Sam from their Hampstead sales office who explained that they weren't responsible for the non-residential units and he couldn't say for sure what would be there. The consensus in the office was that a gym/health club was pretty much a given. There was also talk that there might be some sort of mother/baby centre (whatever exactly that might be), and a shop. But what the shop was no-one seemed sure. Fear not, I'm still on the case and if I find anything out I shall let you know - and if you hear anything then do pass it on.
For what it's worth, my hunch would be that something like a Spar is the most likley. I would be surprised if a Waitrose/M&S would move there as it lacks the footfall they need. Would Tesco's really open somewhere quite so close to its Express store on West End Lane? And would Sainsbury's open a Local quite so close to a Tesco Express? My money is on a Spar or another of the franchise operations, which can be half-way decent when they are in ok areas.
Finally, there's the unit on West End Lane next to Starbucks that was Prime internet café and DVD/video rental. It's been closed for a while and is being refitted at the moment. Place your bets for what will move in there. My guess is that it might stay empty for a little while. But I'll try and find out when I get the chance.
Alexis the bakery up the north end of West End Lane has shut. To be replaced by... a bakery. But a bright orange bakery, if that makes any difference. There's a Dylan's already in Willesden (170 Church Rd), so presumably orange is a tried and tested formula. The West Hampstead one hasn't opened yet, so no review but here's a picture of it in all its orangeness.
(by the way, the pharmacy next door looks like it's closing down - it's not, it's just being refitted).Further down towards the tube station, the unit that was X10 computers (a strange den of chipboards, cables and the owner's aphorisms, which acted as some sort of test as to your worthiness as a customer) closed a few weeks ago. It has reopened as Matrix. Nice to see the "x" theme being carried through there. This one has nothing to do with motherboards and hard drives and everything to do with nails and extensions [CORRECTION: it appears to be just a hair salon, not a nail bar]. Perhaps it will make up for the nail bar that closed earlier in the year on Broadhurst Gardens.
Regular readers will remember the Photo of the Week from Digest No.2. Here it is again to refresh your memories.
Of course, they couldn't possibly leave such a huge billboard up with such a bad typo on it, so the board has been changed.To this.
Oh dear.The friendly girls who work in that teeny-tiny branch of Goldschmidt & Howland next door gave me a wry smile when I asked about it. It's going to be redone again apparently.
I was actually in their really very small space to try and solve the burning issue of the day: what is the retail space going to be in the very development advertised above. Rumours (some started by @bubela's local shopkeepers again) have been pinging around, and as G&H are selling the flats I thought they might know. They don't. They did try and find out though and I spoke to Sam from their Hampstead sales office who explained that they weren't responsible for the non-residential units and he couldn't say for sure what would be there. The consensus in the office was that a gym/health club was pretty much a given. There was also talk that there might be some sort of mother/baby centre (whatever exactly that might be), and a shop. But what the shop was no-one seemed sure. Fear not, I'm still on the case and if I find anything out I shall let you know - and if you hear anything then do pass it on.
For what it's worth, my hunch would be that something like a Spar is the most likley. I would be surprised if a Waitrose/M&S would move there as it lacks the footfall they need. Would Tesco's really open somewhere quite so close to its Express store on West End Lane? And would Sainsbury's open a Local quite so close to a Tesco Express? My money is on a Spar or another of the franchise operations, which can be half-way decent when they are in ok areas.
Finally, there's the unit on West End Lane next to Starbucks that was Prime internet café and DVD/video rental. It's been closed for a while and is being refitted at the moment. Place your bets for what will move in there. My guess is that it might stay empty for a little while. But I'll try and find out when I get the chance.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
West Hampstead Digest No.3
Local news where you set the agenda
(for a one-page PDF version: click here)
Twitter Unplugged
Parts of West Hampstead were plunged into darkness on Monday evening when an EDF substation failed. The CNJ reported on the impact on businesses following the 10-hour outage. Being off the grid didn't mean being offline though. Some residents had to change their cooking plans for the evening. @Gitfinger (below) also dug out the candles.
Later that evening David announced there was some left in the pan for any hungry locals. Perceptions of the impact varied depending on your love of the dark.
It wasn’t long, however, before the novelty of life in the dark began to wear off.
Power was restored the following morning but dropped out again later that day. Let’s hope Cllr Keith Moffitt delivers on his tweeted promise. #whampower
A platform for change
West Hampstead's library turned into a railway platform of a different kind on Wednesday. First Capital Connect and Network Rail were using the space to display their plans for the revamped Thameslink station. Digest went along to investigate.
Architecturally, the plans look attractive. The new station will be on Iverson Road, linking up to the new footbridge. An entrance "probably" with ticket gates, will be retained near the existing entrance, so pedestrian traffic over the road bridge should be reduced substantially. Of course it will make no difference to the pedestrian crush between the tube, the Overground, and Iverson Road. Broadly the plans make sense: as well as the new station, the platforms are being extended to accommodate 12-carriage trains, which will increase capacity substantially. Residents (and councillors) are concerned, however, about the impact of the work.
It's not a positive result for everyone. Joule the jewellers has to move, as Network Rail owns its property and it will fall victim to the pavement widening scheme. Joule has notices of protestation in its window. Full details of the overall Thameslink programme here, but precise details on the West Hampstead programme are not online yet. #whamptravel
Social media emphasizes the social
West Hampstead's social networking took another step forward this week. First, the date and venue were confirmed for the second #whampgather. Followers were encouraged to vote for their preferred dates, and the most favoured date was Thursday December 10.
The Alice House agreed to give us the same space again. Negotiations over any free drinks will take place nearer the time, but the signs are encouraging. The immediate reaction was positive, and numbers should be good.
For any confused readers:
The Wet Fish Café has generously agreed to donate a prize of a meal for two. The winner will be drawn from a list of attendees on Dec 10. #whampgather
Whampreview launched this week. The concept marries the social side of whampgather with requests for eating and drinking recommendations. Eight of us will be going for dinner at the Czech & Slovak National House in mid-November (that may include dumplings) and to generate a review of this long-established local restaurant. At least that's what the idea was. #whampreview
Spinning a new tale
In The Rooms Above, (West Heath Yard, opposite The Emmanuel School), a gym has opened where you pay only when you use it. Most of the world operates on similar lines, but gyms have traditionally made money on apathy. My Fitness Boutique has joined Twitter, so go and say hello. #whampnew
Whither Whifi?
Tell us your fave local WiFi outlets. #whifi
Photo of the week
Christmas creep from Camden
Twitter Unplugged
Parts of West Hampstead were plunged into darkness on Monday evening when an EDF substation failed. The CNJ reported on the impact on businesses following the 10-hour outage. Being off the grid didn't mean being offline though. Some residents had to change their cooking plans for the evening. @Gitfinger (below) also dug out the candles.
Later that evening David announced there was some left in the pan for any hungry locals. Perceptions of the impact varied depending on your love of the dark.
It wasn’t long, however, before the novelty of life in the dark began to wear off.Power was restored the following morning but dropped out again later that day. Let’s hope Cllr Keith Moffitt delivers on his tweeted promise. #whampowerA platform for change
West Hampstead's library turned into a railway platform of a different kind on Wednesday. First Capital Connect and Network Rail were using the space to display their plans for the revamped Thameslink station. Digest went along to investigate.
Architecturally, the plans look attractive. The new station will be on Iverson Road, linking up to the new footbridge. An entrance "probably" with ticket gates, will be retained near the existing entrance, so pedestrian traffic over the road bridge should be reduced substantially. Of course it will make no difference to the pedestrian crush between the tube, the Overground, and Iverson Road. Broadly the plans make sense: as well as the new station, the platforms are being extended to accommodate 12-carriage trains, which will increase capacity substantially. Residents (and councillors) are concerned, however, about the impact of the work.
It's not a positive result for everyone. Joule the jewellers has to move, as Network Rail owns its property and it will fall victim to the pavement widening scheme. Joule has notices of protestation in its window. Full details of the overall Thameslink programme here, but precise details on the West Hampstead programme are not online yet. #whamptravelSocial media emphasizes the social
West Hampstead's social networking took another step forward this week. First, the date and venue were confirmed for the second #whampgather. Followers were encouraged to vote for their preferred dates, and the most favoured date was Thursday December 10.
The Alice House agreed to give us the same space again. Negotiations over any free drinks will take place nearer the time, but the signs are encouraging. The immediate reaction was positive, and numbers should be good. For any confused readers:The Wet Fish Café has generously agreed to donate a prize of a meal for two. The winner will be drawn from a list of attendees on Dec 10. #whampgatherWhampreview launched this week. The concept marries the social side of whampgather with requests for eating and drinking recommendations. Eight of us will be going for dinner at the Czech & Slovak National House in mid-November (that may include dumplings) and to generate a review of this long-established local restaurant. At least that's what the idea was. #whampreview
Spinning a new tale
In The Rooms Above, (West Heath Yard, opposite The Emmanuel School), a gym has opened where you pay only when you use it. Most of the world operates on similar lines, but gyms have traditionally made money on apathy. My Fitness Boutique has joined Twitter, so go and say hello. #whampnew
Whither Whifi?
Tell us your fave local WiFi outlets. #whifi
Photo of the week
Christmas creep from Camden
Friday, 23 October 2009
Whampreview: Going Live
I've bleated on about whampreview for a week or so without saying what it is. So here we go.
Whampreview combines the social side of whampgather with the frequent requests for "Where's the best..."
Once a month I'll announce a date and venue, which will initially be local restaurants in the West Hampstead/Kilburn area. If you would like to come along and have a meal then let me know and after 48 hours, I'll randomly pick 5 of the interested people (or all of you if fewer than 6 people reply!) and off we'll go for dinner.
During dinner – amid the chat – I'll take some notes on what everyone thinks about the food, service, atmosphere. All the usual stuff really. Then I'll write a review based on what we all think and including your comments. Probably with some sort of score and er... that'll be that. It's a chance to meet some local people and have a nice evening out – especially suited to those of you that can't make #whampgather dates, or prefer smaller gatherings, but don't want to miss out on the community thing that seems to be building.
This is how we'll start it. If it gains traction, then I have a few ideas for expanding it so that eventually we can have a good directory of local places with ratings/reviews.
Hopefully by now you're already chomping at the bit to get involved.So, the first venue is the Czech & Slovak National House (thanks to a suggestion by @lifes_good, who hopefully can make it!) on Wednesday November 11th. This West Hampstead institution was once in Time Out's top 10 cheap eats in London list. Although I used to be a regular in the bar, I've never eaten there and I suspect most of you haven't either!
Let me know by the end of Saturday if you'd like to go in the hat. I will post this several times over the next 48 hours so everyone has a chance to read it/put their name down.
A quick word on money: to keep things easy, I'm proposing that bills are split 6-ways unless there's a large discrepancy in e.g., alcohol consumption. I also suggest that a table of 6 can share 3-4 starters/desserts so we all get to try lots of different food without it breaking the bank. Some places obviously offer discounts as well, so if anyone happens to know about those then please shout, but that won't drive the initial decision as to where we go.
That's it. Sign up and let's see how this works!
Whampreview combines the social side of whampgather with the frequent requests for "Where's the best..."
Once a month I'll announce a date and venue, which will initially be local restaurants in the West Hampstead/Kilburn area. If you would like to come along and have a meal then let me know and after 48 hours, I'll randomly pick 5 of the interested people (or all of you if fewer than 6 people reply!) and off we'll go for dinner.
During dinner – amid the chat – I'll take some notes on what everyone thinks about the food, service, atmosphere. All the usual stuff really. Then I'll write a review based on what we all think and including your comments. Probably with some sort of score and er... that'll be that. It's a chance to meet some local people and have a nice evening out – especially suited to those of you that can't make #whampgather dates, or prefer smaller gatherings, but don't want to miss out on the community thing that seems to be building.
This is how we'll start it. If it gains traction, then I have a few ideas for expanding it so that eventually we can have a good directory of local places with ratings/reviews.
Hopefully by now you're already chomping at the bit to get involved.So, the first venue is the Czech & Slovak National House (thanks to a suggestion by @lifes_good, who hopefully can make it!) on Wednesday November 11th. This West Hampstead institution was once in Time Out's top 10 cheap eats in London list. Although I used to be a regular in the bar, I've never eaten there and I suspect most of you haven't either!
Let me know by the end of Saturday if you'd like to go in the hat. I will post this several times over the next 48 hours so everyone has a chance to read it/put their name down.
A quick word on money: to keep things easy, I'm proposing that bills are split 6-ways unless there's a large discrepancy in e.g., alcohol consumption. I also suggest that a table of 6 can share 3-4 starters/desserts so we all get to try lots of different food without it breaking the bank. Some places obviously offer discounts as well, so if anyone happens to know about those then please shout, but that won't drive the initial decision as to where we go.
That's it. Sign up and let's see how this works!
Sunday, 18 October 2009
West Hampstead Digest No.2
Local news where you set the agenda
(for a one-page PDF version: click here)
“Whampgather” tweet-up makes the news
The first ever whampgather took place on Monday 12th at The Alice House. An early glitch, when the staff were unaware that free drinks had been arranged, was soon rectified. There was a terrific turnout, despite tube and bus delays doing their best to slow people down. Sixteen people, the vast majority of whom had never met each other before, all chatted about their experiences of the area, and were able to draw all sorts of connections.
Having bombarded Stephen Fry with invitations, we were delighted when he finally saw one from @JudeStone and sent a reply.
No awkward silences meant no time for the "Rename whampgather" competition, and the consensus was that we should stick to whampgather. Therefore, the draw to win an NW6 t-shirt from @ilovemypostcode took place on Tuesday – the winner seemed pleased.
Whampgather excitement lingered late into the week as @SarahReardon worked some PR magic on the Camden New Journal. The article appeared in Thursday's edition (although the paper is not readily available in West Hampstead) and online on Friday. The CNJ has said that it may even attend the next one. So, put on your best frocks and, again, doctors notes are the only acceptable excuses, although this one from @Choppsicle comes very close.
Music venues overlooked
Camden council listed 10 of the best live music venues in the borough but of local places, only The Good Ship made the cut. Readers had other ideas.
There's also professional music at The Railway, Lately, and even Pizza Express. Talking of which, @bubela had heard from local shopkeepers that West End Lane's Pizza Express was going to be closed and turned into a Sainsbury's. Digest contacted Pizza Express who categorically denied that the branch was closing, "West Hampstead is a really popular PizzaExpress," according to spokesperson Alex Whitelaw.
On the campaign Twail
The general election has yet to be called, but unofficial electioneering has started. West Hampstead is in the new constituency of Hampstead & Kilburn and with redrawn boundaries, the Tories and LibDems are already arguing over which of them is the true challenger to Labour.
The three candidates are existing Hampstead & Highgate MP Glenda Jackson (Lab), Chris Philp (Con) and Ed Fordham (LibDem). Only Fordham is on Twitter, where he directs followers to blog entries about local architecture as well as to political material.
All three were at the Tricycle this week for hustings. Fordham posted extracts of the event – focused on his performance – on his YouTube channel, including a robust defence of Kilburn in the face of those who talk it down. Digest is more than happy to direct its readers to similar links from the other candidates. We will follow the progress of the main three parties up to the election, keep you up to date with the other candidates, and run some very unscientific polls to gauge your thoughts.
This will be the first general election where Twitter will play a part and, in the aftermath of Obama's well-orchestrated online campaign, we can expect all the parties and candidates to up their digital game. #whampvote
Tube fares rise. What tube?
Another weekend of tube closures barely got a reaction from resigned locals. The midweek announcement of TfL price rises, in order to pay for improvement works, didn't pass unnoticed however. #whamptravel
Photo of the week – Read closelyMaybe that was the spelling in King Alfred’s time. Thanks to @PkerUNO for spotting this West End Lane billboard.
“Whampgather” tweet-up makes the news
The first ever whampgather took place on Monday 12th at The Alice House. An early glitch, when the staff were unaware that free drinks had been arranged, was soon rectified. There was a terrific turnout, despite tube and bus delays doing their best to slow people down. Sixteen people, the vast majority of whom had never met each other before, all chatted about their experiences of the area, and were able to draw all sorts of connections. Having bombarded Stephen Fry with invitations, we were delighted when he finally saw one from @JudeStone and sent a reply.
No awkward silences meant no time for the "Rename whampgather" competition, and the consensus was that we should stick to whampgather. Therefore, the draw to win an NW6 t-shirt from @ilovemypostcode took place on Tuesday – the winner seemed pleased.Whampgather excitement lingered late into the week as @SarahReardon worked some PR magic on the Camden New Journal. The article appeared in Thursday's edition (although the paper is not readily available in West Hampstead) and online on Friday. The CNJ has said that it may even attend the next one. So, put on your best frocks and, again, doctors notes are the only acceptable excuses, although this one from @Choppsicle comes very close.Music venues overlooked
Camden council listed 10 of the best live music venues in the borough but of local places, only The Good Ship made the cut. Readers had other ideas.
There's also professional music at The Railway, Lately, and even Pizza Express. Talking of which, @bubela had heard from local shopkeepers that West End Lane's Pizza Express was going to be closed and turned into a Sainsbury's. Digest contacted Pizza Express who categorically denied that the branch was closing, "West Hampstead is a really popular PizzaExpress," according to spokesperson Alex Whitelaw.On the campaign Twail
The general election has yet to be called, but unofficial electioneering has started. West Hampstead is in the new constituency of Hampstead & Kilburn and with redrawn boundaries, the Tories and LibDems are already arguing over which of them is the true challenger to Labour.
The three candidates are existing Hampstead & Highgate MP Glenda Jackson (Lab), Chris Philp (Con) and Ed Fordham (LibDem). Only Fordham is on Twitter, where he directs followers to blog entries about local architecture as well as to political material.
All three were at the Tricycle this week for hustings. Fordham posted extracts of the event – focused on his performance – on his YouTube channel, including a robust defence of Kilburn in the face of those who talk it down. Digest is more than happy to direct its readers to similar links from the other candidates. We will follow the progress of the main three parties up to the election, keep you up to date with the other candidates, and run some very unscientific polls to gauge your thoughts.
This will be the first general election where Twitter will play a part and, in the aftermath of Obama's well-orchestrated online campaign, we can expect all the parties and candidates to up their digital game. #whampvote
Tube fares rise. What tube?
Another weekend of tube closures barely got a reaction from resigned locals. The midweek announcement of TfL price rises, in order to pay for improvement works, didn't pass unnoticed however. #whamptravel
Photo of the week – Read closelyMaybe that was the spelling in King Alfred’s time. Thanks to @PkerUNO for spotting this West End Lane billboard.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
We have a winner
I have just made the draw for the winner of an item of clothing from I Love My Postcode.
There was no independent ajudicator, and no equipment was checked or verified in advance. However, I promise I did it properly, and The Guardian is free to report it if it so wishes.
First all your names went on the bits of paper you could have written #whampgather suggestions on last night.
Then I folded them all up and put them in this attractive "tombola".
At which point I realised that they were a bit big and wouldn't really move much even if I shook it a lot. So I shook it a lot anyway, and then scattered them on the table.
And randomly picked a winner. And the winner was....
Congratulations to Blake. We may have to force him to wear the item he chooses at the next #whampgather
There was no independent ajudicator, and no equipment was checked or verified in advance. However, I promise I did it properly, and The Guardian is free to report it if it so wishes.
First all your names went on the bits of paper you could have written #whampgather suggestions on last night.
Then I folded them all up and put them in this attractive "tombola".
At which point I realised that they were a bit big and wouldn't really move much even if I shook it a lot. So I shook it a lot anyway, and then scattered them on the table.And randomly picked a winner. And the winner was....Congratulations to Blake. We may have to force him to wear the item he chooses at the next #whampgather
The morning after the night before
Last night was the inaugural #whampgather. It was a terrific turnout, despite tube and bus delays doing their best to slow people down. But there's no stopping an NW6er when there's free alcohol to be had.
Thanks to everyone who came. We missed those of you that couldn't make it, but the good news is that there seemed to be a desire to do this again, so I shall soon be polling dates/ideas for a December #whampgather. With critical mass behind us, we should be able to do bigger and better things. And now Stephen Fry knows about us...!
A terrible photo of the event below. If anyone happened to take any better, let me know and I'll happily add them. See you all at the next one - if not before! Full list of attendees underneath for those of you that didn't catch everyone's name.
In approximate order of arrival:
@WHampstead - Jonathan
@gitfinger - Bradley
@Cyburn - Tareq
@DJStoney - Mark
Michael (Twitter name pending!)
@hannajaneprice
@SarahReardon
@JudeStone
@helenstone
@hollycocker
@danusiskin
@blakeconnolly
@AndrewIMarshall
@mayfield22 - Jane
@lifes_good - Lisa
@Matt_Coop
Thanks to everyone who came. We missed those of you that couldn't make it, but the good news is that there seemed to be a desire to do this again, so I shall soon be polling dates/ideas for a December #whampgather. With critical mass behind us, we should be able to do bigger and better things. And now Stephen Fry knows about us...!
A terrible photo of the event below. If anyone happened to take any better, let me know and I'll happily add them. See you all at the next one - if not before! Full list of attendees underneath for those of you that didn't catch everyone's name. In approximate order of arrival:@WHampstead - Jonathan
@gitfinger - Bradley
@Cyburn - Tareq
@DJStoney - Mark
Michael (Twitter name pending!)
@hannajaneprice
@SarahReardon
@JudeStone
@helenstone
@hollycocker
@danusiskin
@blakeconnolly
@AndrewIMarshall
@mayfield22 - Jane
@lifes_good - Lisa
@Matt_Coop
Sunday, 11 October 2009
West Hampstead Digest No.1
Local news where you set the agenda
(for a one-page PDF version: click here)
Live coverage of Hemstal handgun drama
Crime was the big story of the week, following Tuesday's gun drama on the streets of West Hampstead. Tweeting from the scene were @medcabnath (whose photo is below) and @2muchcoffeekate.
BBC Travel confirmed the road closure but, as the excitement wound down, residents still weren't entirely sure what had happened. It wasn't until later in the week that we got updates from BBC News, the Camden New Journal, and the Ham & High.
All the drama led to an exchange the next morning over the crime rate in West Hampstead. @WHConservatives said crime in the area was on the rise. When @Whampstead challenged this stance (which one person had criticized as "spreading fear"), the local Tories pointed out that burglary and theft from cars were both higher in West Hampstead than in neighbouring areas.
The Met's statistics, available here, show that they are right. However, it seems misleading to suggest that West Hampstead is a "high-crime" area, relative to this part of London. This blog entry looks into the issue in more detail. The text of the police's appeal is here.
Being the urbane bunch we are, not everyone was too fazed by the developments and quips about bulletproof vests for the commute home abounded. The pick of the bunch, however, was from @2muchcoffeeforkate, one of the on-site tweeters. #whampcrime
West Hampstead Whinges
A burst water main on the Kilburn High Road wreaked havoc on travel plans.
Of course the flooding was a problem for local businesses too, but not all handled it as well as some of you might have hoped for.
None of this is new, as this article from 2005 reminds us. Mind you, given that the word "Kilburn" derives from the name of the stream that runs beneath it (now the River Westbourne), flooding in these parts probably dates back to the days before there were even water mains to burst. #whamptravel
We’ve got the Ex-Factor
NW6 was left reeling by the news that X-Factor finalists are no longer housed in the area. They were here:
But no longer will they slurp their coffee in Caffé West as the news broke that the house this year is in Golders Green. @emma_marion used that terrible few hours when twitter froze to do some sleuthing.
Fans had already tracked down the property and there were photos in the press the next day of the place being beseiged by fans. The police now have to spend resources controlling people like this person who fruitlessly begged @WHampstead for the location.
However, @KateTheIrish1 told us that contestants used to drink in the Railway. Perhaps the wannabees have come home to roost. #whexfactor
Whampgather in Whonderland
The Alice House is the venue for the first ever local tweetup, which takes place on Monday evening. With a competition and free drinks, it promises to be a social event to rival Henley or Ascot. See you all there.
New to the neighbourhood
It‘s not new to West Hampstead, but popular restaurant The Wet Fish Café is new to Twitter. You can keep up to date by following @TheWetFishCafe. #whampnew
Photo of the week
@gitfinger claims he was "having an Elton John moment”
Live coverage of Hemstal handgun drama
Crime was the big story of the week, following Tuesday's gun drama on the streets of West Hampstead. Tweeting from the scene were @medcabnath (whose photo is below) and @2muchcoffeekate.
BBC Travel confirmed the road closure but, as the excitement wound down, residents still weren't entirely sure what had happened. It wasn't until later in the week that we got updates from BBC News, the Camden New Journal, and the Ham & High.All the drama led to an exchange the next morning over the crime rate in West Hampstead. @WHConservatives said crime in the area was on the rise. When @Whampstead challenged this stance (which one person had criticized as "spreading fear"), the local Tories pointed out that burglary and theft from cars were both higher in West Hampstead than in neighbouring areas.The Met's statistics, available here, show that they are right. However, it seems misleading to suggest that West Hampstead is a "high-crime" area, relative to this part of London. This blog entry looks into the issue in more detail. The text of the police's appeal is here.
Being the urbane bunch we are, not everyone was too fazed by the developments and quips about bulletproof vests for the commute home abounded. The pick of the bunch, however, was from @2muchcoffeeforkate, one of the on-site tweeters. #whampcrime
West Hampstead Whinges
A burst water main on the Kilburn High Road wreaked havoc on travel plans.
Of course the flooding was a problem for local businesses too, but not all handled it as well as some of you might have hoped for.None of this is new, as this article from 2005 reminds us. Mind you, given that the word "Kilburn" derives from the name of the stream that runs beneath it (now the River Westbourne), flooding in these parts probably dates back to the days before there were even water mains to burst. #whamptravelWe’ve got the Ex-Factor
NW6 was left reeling by the news that X-Factor finalists are no longer housed in the area. They were here:
But no longer will they slurp their coffee in Caffé West as the news broke that the house this year is in Golders Green. @emma_marion used that terrible few hours when twitter froze to do some sleuthing.Fans had already tracked down the property and there were photos in the press the next day of the place being beseiged by fans. The police now have to spend resources controlling people like this person who fruitlessly begged @WHampstead for the location. However, @KateTheIrish1 told us that contestants used to drink in the Railway. Perhaps the wannabees have come home to roost. #whexfactorWhampgather in Whonderland
The Alice House is the venue for the first ever local tweetup, which takes place on Monday evening. With a competition and free drinks, it promises to be a social event to rival Henley or Ascot. See you all there.
New to the neighbourhood
It‘s not new to West Hampstead, but popular restaurant The Wet Fish Café is new to Twitter. You can keep up to date by following @TheWetFishCafe. #whampnew
Photo of the week
@gitfinger claims he was "having an Elton John moment”
Calculating Criminals
If you live around West Hampstead, you'll know that it feels fairly safe around here. Of course, we're still in an inner-London borough and it's not as if you'd leave you front door open but I never worry about personal attacks here any more than I would anywhere else.
This is why the news earlier in the week of armed men running through the leafy streets of West Hampstead in broad daylight came as such a surprise. The BBC, Camden New Journal and the Ham & High all reported the story (even the Daily Mail covered it), which was tweeted live by some my followers.
In the wake of this story, the West Hampstead Conservative Group posted a message on twitter saying crime was a "serious issue" in West Hampstead, later clarifying that "burglary rates and car vehicle theft rates are higher in proportion to other areas in the immediate vicinty."
A visit to the Metropolitan Police's website confirms this statistic. But statistics are funny things. It's possible to cut stats in all manner of ways.
To start with, only Westminster has a worse crime rate of the Met's boroughs. Camden's poor performance is largely due to its central London wards of Holborn and Bloomsbury, together with the well-known problems of Camden Town. Compared to these hotspots, West Hampstead fares well but they are hardly a good benchmark. Of Camden's 18 wards, West Hampstead has the 9th lowest crime rate. Of course the West Hampstead ward does not equate exactly with the area people think of as "West Hampstead". The other local wards in Camden are Fortune Green (2nd lowest), parts of Swiss Cottage (6th lowest) and Kilburn (14th lowest/5th highest).
Lets look at different types of crime, specifically those that are crimes against people: personal robbery and violent crimes. I accept (and know from personal experience) that burglaries and thefts are unpleasant experiences for the victims. We should work hard to minimize these crimes, but they are part and parcel of living in a big city. I am far more concerned with robbery and violent crime, which would make me feel unsafe walking around the area.
In August 2009, there was one personal robbery in the West Hampstead ward. In fact, it ranked as the second safest ward in the borough on this measure. Taking a longer perspective, we can see that after a big drop in robberies from 2006/7 to 2007/8 of 55 to 30, there was a rise in 2008/9 to 34. For violent crimes, West Hampstead is the 6th lowest of the 18 wards, with both Fortune Green and Swiss Cottage ranking lower. As with robberies, there was a big dip in reported violent crimes from 06/07 to 07/08, before a small increase in 08/09. Both the Brent and Camden sides of the Kilburn High Road all ranked worse for violent crime in August 2009, and this has held true for the past three years.
Rather than dissecting the statistics every which way, one guide to the crime problems in the area is to look at the Safer Neighbourhood teams' priorities. For West Hampstead they are burglary and motor vehicle crime. Fortune Green adds anti-social behaviour to these priorities. Kilburn's priorities are motor vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour by groups of youths, and finally, Swiss Cottage has those two, plus burglary.
So, what does all this tell us. Crime rates are rising in Camden, unsurprising in a recession. However, West Hampstead is a long way from being a crime hotspot and in terms of personal safety, it still "feels" safe, which is important for quality of life.
What do you think? How concerned are you about crime in West Hampstead?
This is why the news earlier in the week of armed men running through the leafy streets of West Hampstead in broad daylight came as such a surprise. The BBC, Camden New Journal and the Ham & High all reported the story (even the Daily Mail covered it), which was tweeted live by some my followers.
In the wake of this story, the West Hampstead Conservative Group posted a message on twitter saying crime was a "serious issue" in West Hampstead, later clarifying that "burglary rates and car vehicle theft rates are higher in proportion to other areas in the immediate vicinty."
A visit to the Metropolitan Police's website confirms this statistic. But statistics are funny things. It's possible to cut stats in all manner of ways.
To start with, only Westminster has a worse crime rate of the Met's boroughs. Camden's poor performance is largely due to its central London wards of Holborn and Bloomsbury, together with the well-known problems of Camden Town. Compared to these hotspots, West Hampstead fares well but they are hardly a good benchmark. Of Camden's 18 wards, West Hampstead has the 9th lowest crime rate. Of course the West Hampstead ward does not equate exactly with the area people think of as "West Hampstead". The other local wards in Camden are Fortune Green (2nd lowest), parts of Swiss Cottage (6th lowest) and Kilburn (14th lowest/5th highest).
Lets look at different types of crime, specifically those that are crimes against people: personal robbery and violent crimes. I accept (and know from personal experience) that burglaries and thefts are unpleasant experiences for the victims. We should work hard to minimize these crimes, but they are part and parcel of living in a big city. I am far more concerned with robbery and violent crime, which would make me feel unsafe walking around the area.
In August 2009, there was one personal robbery in the West Hampstead ward. In fact, it ranked as the second safest ward in the borough on this measure. Taking a longer perspective, we can see that after a big drop in robberies from 2006/7 to 2007/8 of 55 to 30, there was a rise in 2008/9 to 34. For violent crimes, West Hampstead is the 6th lowest of the 18 wards, with both Fortune Green and Swiss Cottage ranking lower. As with robberies, there was a big dip in reported violent crimes from 06/07 to 07/08, before a small increase in 08/09. Both the Brent and Camden sides of the Kilburn High Road all ranked worse for violent crime in August 2009, and this has held true for the past three years.
Rather than dissecting the statistics every which way, one guide to the crime problems in the area is to look at the Safer Neighbourhood teams' priorities. For West Hampstead they are burglary and motor vehicle crime. Fortune Green adds anti-social behaviour to these priorities. Kilburn's priorities are motor vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour by groups of youths, and finally, Swiss Cottage has those two, plus burglary.
So, what does all this tell us. Crime rates are rising in Camden, unsurprising in a recession. However, West Hampstead is a long way from being a crime hotspot and in terms of personal safety, it still "feels" safe, which is important for quality of life.
What do you think? How concerned are you about crime in West Hampstead?
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Whampgather - Five days to go
Good #whampgather news. The Alice House has generously agreed to give a free cocktail to the first 15 er... Whampgatherers. So I hope this entices the alcoholic-minded among you to drop by (I know there are some followers who are partial to a drink or two).
We have the sofa area reserved from 7.30pm on Monday October 12th. That's "next Monday evening" for those of you working in analogue. Would be great to see as many of you there as possible. The bigger the turnout, the easier it will be to make the next one (pre-Christmas anyone?) even better. I'm looking forward to putting faces to avatars although I shall be disguised as a giant London Underground sign for the entire evening.
Don't forget that as well as a free cocktail for the early arrivals, there'll also be the chance to win an NW6-branded item of clothing from the lovely people at I Love My Postcode. To stand a chance of winning you need to come up with a better name than "whampgather". I'll choose the anonymous winner on the night - you have to be there to enter. If all your ideas are terrible then I'll pick a random winner out of the hat :-)
After starting @WHampstead five months ago, I'm chuffed that there's something of a sense of community among the people who follow along. Hopefully you enjoy the mix of the informative and the banal, which – as West Hampstead's most famous Twit Stephen Fry reminds us – is really what Twitter is all about. Stephen hasn't confirmed his attendance I'm afraid. If anyone bumps into him over the next few days, do invite him along.
That's it fellow Whampsteaders. Except to say a big thanks to @DJStoney, who has worked tirelessly - often going without food or water for days, he tells me - to secure us the venue and cocktails.
See you on Monday!
We have the sofa area reserved from 7.30pm on Monday October 12th. That's "next Monday evening" for those of you working in analogue. Would be great to see as many of you there as possible. The bigger the turnout, the easier it will be to make the next one (pre-Christmas anyone?) even better. I'm looking forward to putting faces to avatars although I shall be disguised as a giant London Underground sign for the entire evening.
Don't forget that as well as a free cocktail for the early arrivals, there'll also be the chance to win an NW6-branded item of clothing from the lovely people at I Love My Postcode. To stand a chance of winning you need to come up with a better name than "whampgather". I'll choose the anonymous winner on the night - you have to be there to enter. If all your ideas are terrible then I'll pick a random winner out of the hat :-)
After starting @WHampstead five months ago, I'm chuffed that there's something of a sense of community among the people who follow along. Hopefully you enjoy the mix of the informative and the banal, which – as West Hampstead's most famous Twit Stephen Fry reminds us – is really what Twitter is all about. Stephen hasn't confirmed his attendance I'm afraid. If anyone bumps into him over the next few days, do invite him along.
That's it fellow Whampsteaders. Except to say a big thanks to @DJStoney, who has worked tirelessly - often going without food or water for days, he tells me - to secure us the venue and cocktails.
See you on Monday!
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