It's a hive of activity on Broadhurst Gardens at the moment. New Italian restaurant Spiga opens tonight (I know we're all waiting for the verdict from Tom's Diner), and Cocoa Bijoux opened with a soft launch at the end of last week. Senses of course closed a while ago (no great surprise), so there is another vacant unit up for grabs.
Cocoa Bijoux's owner Stuart Daniel has been in the chocolate business for 20 years, and it's clear that this is his passion. Having operated as a wholesaler he finally decided it was time to open his own place. Cocoa Bijoux occupies one of the small units in Broadwell Parade and sits between the cigar shop and Luli's barbers.
Stuart has two chocolatiers who create artisan chocolates - he's less interested in the endless matching rows of classic Belgian creams that you might find at Fortnum & Mason's, and more in offering something a little more unusual. Generously he let me sample a few. I had a lovely caramelised walnut coated in dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. He uses very specific French walnuts that are less bitter than many on the market. Then I had a delicious Grand Marnier truffle, but unlike any I've had before (mostly because it was twice the size). And finally, I tried a salted caramel ball. Very fashionable right now of course and I have to say this was the best I've had. Not too salty, not too sweet and with a perfect liquid centre.
Stuart also sells English chocolates from Prestat, which come in gorgeously designed boxes, and all manner of other treats. He focuses otherwise on French and German chocolates rather than Belgian. Cocoa Bijoux also has a table inside and will have some chairs outside for coffee or hot chocolate (made from couverture chocolate of course).
It's a slightly odd site, and a very small shop, but I could see this working. There's not much competition, especially since Wilton & Noble up by Waitrose closed, and being next to another destination shop (the cigar shop, not Luli's) can only help. There is a new chocolate shop - Coco Exchange - opening on Belsize Road, but that's apparently going to have a Belgian focus.
Stuart also seems like he knows what he's doing and is open to trying things out. I wish him the best of luck. He's also generously donated a nice (large!) box of chocolates for the Whampgather raffle, which I thought was very kind given that he'd only just met me!
Those of you who bang on about supporting independent shops - here's another one to add to the list. I know it's not going to please everyone because it's high-end luxury items rather than day-to-day goods, but we have to face economic facts - these are the sorts of shops that are more likely to survive.
I will add a few photos to this post soon - didn't have my phone with me this morning.
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Monday, 29 August 2011
What have I missed since August 22nd?
This week the world said goodbye Gadaffi and Goodnight Irene, but what were the comings and goings in West Hampstead?
On Tuesday night there was a major police incident on Sherriff Rd.
Jobs are at risk at Netherwood day care centre.
Sgt Timms from the West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood Team will now also be leading the Fortune Green team.
On the blog we took a trip down memory lane, discussed the Jubilee Line, and are giving you a chance to win a book on London buildings with a local buildings competition.
We've had lots of photos of rainbows and amazing sunsets. This was one of the best.
There's a Kilburn Priory ghost.
West Hampstead councillor John Bryant got married this week.
The chocolate shop on Broadhurst Gardens opened. Ladudu will now be opening from 10am not 7am, and The Wet Fish Café will open from midday on Mondays (previously it was 6pm).
Meanwhile, Powers has a new website.
Tom's Diner had tea at Lena's.
What was Bombay Bicycle Club is now to be Costellos - a "funky chamelon concept".
Tweet of the Week
Want to promote your business here? Read how.
On Tuesday night there was a major police incident on Sherriff Rd.
Jobs are at risk at Netherwood day care centre.
Sgt Timms from the West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood Team will now also be leading the Fortune Green team.
On the blog we took a trip down memory lane, discussed the Jubilee Line, and are giving you a chance to win a book on London buildings with a local buildings competition.
We've had lots of photos of rainbows and amazing sunsets. This was one of the best.
There's a Kilburn Priory ghost.
West Hampstead councillor John Bryant got married this week.
The chocolate shop on Broadhurst Gardens opened. Ladudu will now be opening from 10am not 7am, and The Wet Fish Café will open from midday on Mondays (previously it was 6pm).
Meanwhile, Powers has a new website.
Tom's Diner had tea at Lena's.
What was Bombay Bicycle Club is now to be Costellos - a "funky chamelon concept".
Tweet of the Week
Want to promote your business here? Read how.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Do you know where it is yet?
When I was asked to review a book about London architectural landmarks, I immediately handed over responsibility to local architecture fiend Lauren. She's starting work on her own exciting project about the Kilburn State, and seemed the perfect person. We also have a copy of the book to give away if you can tackle our slightly challenging local buildings quiz below. But first, here's Lauren's review:
"Those striking caricature-style illustrations of London landmarks that have been appearing on ceramics and tea towels for a while now, have found their way into a book. 'London Buildings – An Architectural Tour' by Robin Farquhar and Hannah Dipper (pub. Batsford) is a neat collection of 45 illustrations by People Will Always Need Plates, the company behind the stylised line drawings of the likes of the Barbican and the Trellick tower.
The bright orange cover (looking almost like a stylish record sleeve) features beloved London landmark Battersea Power Station, and fairly accurately reflects the entire contents of the book. Bright, simple black and white graphic descriptions of the best of this city's architecture; from 16th Century Classicism to 1960s Brutalism and everything in between. Locally, there are some brilliant examples of Modernism in Hampstead at 66 Frognal and its neighbour, the 1930s Sun House.
The big, bright blocks of colour and minimal text set the book out as a good introduction to London's showcase buildings, with an eclectic selection including tube stations and gas towers. With minimal detail and lack of background distractions, these drawings are clearly intended to get you thinking about how you read the built environment. The unique illustration style is what makes this quirkier than your average photo-filled coffee table architecture book - it would make a great gift or a fun 'beginers guide' for exploring London's architectural history."
Quiz time
Interest piqued? Good. To win your own pristine copy of London Buildings all you need to do is correctly identify the name or location of the nine local landmarks pictured below. Some are easy, one or two are a little trickier. Click on the image to see a much bigger version, which might help (or not).
It's possible no-one will get all nine, so even if you only have 7 or 8 it's probably worth a bash. The person with the most correct answers wins, and if there's more than one of you then the winner will be decided on a tiebreaker judged by Lauren and me.
Tiebreaker: In no more than 15 words tell us your favourite local landmark building and why.
UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER
Congrats to Ian Farrar who correctly identified all the photos below. 1) Clock by Kilburn Grange park, 2) Wet Fish Cafe, 3) Cholmley Gardens, 4) Swiss Cottage Library, 5) West Hampstead library, 6) Sidney Boyd Court, 7) Czech National House, 8) West Hampstaed tube station, and 9) Kilburn State.
Ian's favourite building is Lately's "for its enlightened door policy of turning people away for not being drunk enough".
"Those striking caricature-style illustrations of London landmarks that have been appearing on ceramics and tea towels for a while now, have found their way into a book. 'London Buildings – An Architectural Tour' by Robin Farquhar and Hannah Dipper (pub. Batsford) is a neat collection of 45 illustrations by People Will Always Need Plates, the company behind the stylised line drawings of the likes of the Barbican and the Trellick tower.
The bright orange cover (looking almost like a stylish record sleeve) features beloved London landmark Battersea Power Station, and fairly accurately reflects the entire contents of the book. Bright, simple black and white graphic descriptions of the best of this city's architecture; from 16th Century Classicism to 1960s Brutalism and everything in between. Locally, there are some brilliant examples of Modernism in Hampstead at 66 Frognal and its neighbour, the 1930s Sun House.
The big, bright blocks of colour and minimal text set the book out as a good introduction to London's showcase buildings, with an eclectic selection including tube stations and gas towers. With minimal detail and lack of background distractions, these drawings are clearly intended to get you thinking about how you read the built environment. The unique illustration style is what makes this quirkier than your average photo-filled coffee table architecture book - it would make a great gift or a fun 'beginers guide' for exploring London's architectural history."
Quiz time
Interest piqued? Good. To win your own pristine copy of London Buildings all you need to do is correctly identify the name or location of the nine local landmarks pictured below. Some are easy, one or two are a little trickier. Click on the image to see a much bigger version, which might help (or not).
It's possible no-one will get all nine, so even if you only have 7 or 8 it's probably worth a bash. The person with the most correct answers wins, and if there's more than one of you then the winner will be decided on a tiebreaker judged by Lauren and me.
Tiebreaker: In no more than 15 words tell us your favourite local landmark building and why.
UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER
Congrats to Ian Farrar who correctly identified all the photos below. 1) Clock by Kilburn Grange park, 2) Wet Fish Cafe, 3) Cholmley Gardens, 4) Swiss Cottage Library, 5) West Hampstead library, 6) Sidney Boyd Court, 7) Czech National House, 8) West Hampstaed tube station, and 9) Kilburn State.
Ian's favourite building is Lately's "for its enlightened door policy of turning people away for not being drunk enough".
Have your say
Now it seems that order has been restored to the streets of London after the rioting and looting of a couple of weeks ago, Camden council has set up three public meetings to discuss the borough's response. Camden Town and Chalk Farm were the worst affected parts of the borough. Nevertheless, as we know, the problems were fairly widespread, with even the relatively calm Kilburn High Road having one shop looted.
The nearest meeting for NW6ers is at Kingsgate Community Centre on September 6th.
The nearest meeting for NW6ers is at Kingsgate Community Centre on September 6th.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Jubilee Line finished, but closures persist
I'd spotted last week that the Jubilee Line had more weekend closures scheduled for September and October. I was a bit confused, because I was fairly sure that the upgrade work was complete, we were now getting an incredible three trains more an hour (yet I still had to wait more than 5 minutes for one yesterday), and all was hunky and dory on the Stanmore-Stratford silver subway.
Then a tweet this morning from the BBC London's transport correspondent Tom Edwards explained the situation. The four weekend closures still to come (see below for details) are actually because the Metropolitan Line work is unfinished. Given how close the lines are to each other it's simply not safe to have people working on the Met Line while Jubilee line trains swish past. Yes, I know the Met Line has been open sometimes when the Jubilee has been closed, but the Jubilee closures have been about signal work and testing more than track work.
What does this mean for us? Well, as West Hampstead is one of the stations where trains can "turn round" as it were, it doesn't mean much for southbound passengers. All the closures are between Stanmore and West Hampstead, so the station will be open for those wanting to go into town. Those of you who use stations from Kilburn north are back on the (frighteningly expensive for TfL) rail replacement buses.
Naturally, there is political capital to be made of this. Val Shawcross, London Assembly member and Labour's transport spokesperson said "On at least five separate occasions this year Boris Johnson has promised an end to weekend tube closures on the Jubilee Line and each time he has broken his promise."
Ken, sensing a chance to have a swipe at Boris and of course himself an avid Jubilee user, has been up in arms about it, asking for a halt to the autumn closures, although as The Scoop points out, the Met Line work does need to be done.
According to the BBC report, a spokesperson for the Mayor said, "We appreciate that this does mean further frustrations when some interconnecting lines need maintenance and upgrade work."
What do you think? Has Boris just been shafted by the whole shoddy process or should he and TfL been more creative in finding ways to minimize the weekend closures that have blighted NW London for what now seems like for ever?
Here are those closure dates:
Sat 3rd & Sun 4th September
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate
Sat 17th & Sun 18th September
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate
Sat 1st & Sun 2nd October
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate (Sat), Uxbridge to Aldgate (Sun)
Sat 15th & Sun 16th October
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate
Note that there are other closures on the Met Line on other weekends, but they are mostly north/west of Wembley Park. There is a Baker St-Aldgate closure on the 8th/9th October and the 6th November.
Then a tweet this morning from the BBC London's transport correspondent Tom Edwards explained the situation. The four weekend closures still to come (see below for details) are actually because the Metropolitan Line work is unfinished. Given how close the lines are to each other it's simply not safe to have people working on the Met Line while Jubilee line trains swish past. Yes, I know the Met Line has been open sometimes when the Jubilee has been closed, but the Jubilee closures have been about signal work and testing more than track work.
What does this mean for us? Well, as West Hampstead is one of the stations where trains can "turn round" as it were, it doesn't mean much for southbound passengers. All the closures are between Stanmore and West Hampstead, so the station will be open for those wanting to go into town. Those of you who use stations from Kilburn north are back on the (frighteningly expensive for TfL) rail replacement buses.
Naturally, there is political capital to be made of this. Val Shawcross, London Assembly member and Labour's transport spokesperson said "On at least five separate occasions this year Boris Johnson has promised an end to weekend tube closures on the Jubilee Line and each time he has broken his promise."
Ken, sensing a chance to have a swipe at Boris and of course himself an avid Jubilee user, has been up in arms about it, asking for a halt to the autumn closures, although as The Scoop points out, the Met Line work does need to be done.
According to the BBC report, a spokesperson for the Mayor said, "We appreciate that this does mean further frustrations when some interconnecting lines need maintenance and upgrade work."
What do you think? Has Boris just been shafted by the whole shoddy process or should he and TfL been more creative in finding ways to minimize the weekend closures that have blighted NW London for what now seems like for ever?
Here are those closure dates:
Sat 3rd & Sun 4th September
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate
Sat 17th & Sun 18th September
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate
Sat 1st & Sun 2nd October
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate (Sat), Uxbridge to Aldgate (Sun)
Sat 15th & Sun 16th October
Jubilee closed Stanmore to West Hampstead
Met closed Harrow-on-the-Hill to Aldgate
Note that there are other closures on the Met Line on other weekends, but they are mostly north/west of Wembley Park. There is a Baker St-Aldgate closure on the 8th/9th October and the 6th November.
A trip down Kilburn's memory lane
I got sent a fantastic link via Twitter this morning. It was to a photograph taken in 1965 of the State building on Kilburn High Road. The photograph is interesting, but the history site that it's part of turned out to be a treasure trove.
Click on any of the seven photos of Kilburn taken around the same time, and you'll find a few dozen comments from people who grew up in the area. It takes a bit of diving into the site to find all of them - some are comments to the initial memories, and so on. They paint a picture of post-war Kilburn that in many ways we could recognise today: a lively, bustling, rough-around-the-edges neighbourhood that people generally have an affection for, with characters such as Biff Lewis (who of course gets into a fight) and Susan the Swedish employee at Woolworths.
Naturally there are also some big changes - not least in the number of cinemas. One person recounts four different ones: the Ionic, the Grange, the Essoldo and of course the State.
I shall leave you to browse the site, but here's one of my favourite excerpts as Fred Parker's recalls trips to the cinema:
Update 4.30pm, 20th Century London sent me a link to some more great old photos of Kilburn including one of the Rolling Stones backstage at the Gaumont State.
Click on any of the seven photos of Kilburn taken around the same time, and you'll find a few dozen comments from people who grew up in the area. It takes a bit of diving into the site to find all of them - some are comments to the initial memories, and so on. They paint a picture of post-war Kilburn that in many ways we could recognise today: a lively, bustling, rough-around-the-edges neighbourhood that people generally have an affection for, with characters such as Biff Lewis (who of course gets into a fight) and Susan the Swedish employee at Woolworths.
Naturally there are also some big changes - not least in the number of cinemas. One person recounts four different ones: the Ionic, the Grange, the Essoldo and of course the State.
I shall leave you to browse the site, but here's one of my favourite excerpts as Fred Parker's recalls trips to the cinema:
"Every Saturday evening I would go to the 'pictures'.. with a group of friends. Often we would have to queue to get in and maybe stand for some time once we got in. We sat in the 1/6d seats. Films ran continuously in those days and we often saw the end of the film before we saw the beginning. We would walk home after the cinema and probably buy a bag of chips plus a pickled onion if we were flush."Thanks to Jon Kelly for the original link. Look out for an architecture competition on the blog in the next day or so. And if you want to read about some West Hampstead history, check out this post about how our part of London fared during the Second World War.
Update 4.30pm, 20th Century London sent me a link to some more great old photos of Kilburn including one of the Rolling Stones backstage at the Gaumont State.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Cooling down with Orange
Get your barometers out whampers!. On the 25th and 26th August, Orange (the phone people) will be driving round London with an ice cream van handing out... well, ice cream. The only real question is which ringtone they'll use for the van.
Anyway, London is a big place right? And the van is only in town for two days. So, if you want it to come up to these parts then you need to get active.
There are two ways to get them up here:
1) Head over to The Feed and submit NW6 (just the first part of your postcode is required). If the first part of your postcode is NW3 or NW8 then you can damn well afford to buy your own ice cream.
2) Head straight to Twitter and just tweet "NW6" to @OrangeTheFeed along with the hashtag #keepmecool.
The more mentions NW6 gets, the better the chance of Orange taking a turn through the hood (although if they choose Queens Park over West Hampstead there'll be trouble). Get on it people.
The ice cream will be free, but if it doesn't satisfy your craving, pop along and give your custom to this Kilburn ice cream van with its, um, ominous jingle.
Sponsored Post
Viral video by ebuzzing
Anyway, London is a big place right? And the van is only in town for two days. So, if you want it to come up to these parts then you need to get active.
There are two ways to get them up here:
1) Head over to The Feed and submit NW6 (just the first part of your postcode is required). If the first part of your postcode is NW3 or NW8 then you can damn well afford to buy your own ice cream.
2) Head straight to Twitter and just tweet "NW6" to @OrangeTheFeed along with the hashtag #keepmecool.
The more mentions NW6 gets, the better the chance of Orange taking a turn through the hood (although if they choose Queens Park over West Hampstead there'll be trouble). Get on it people.
The ice cream will be free, but if it doesn't satisfy your craving, pop along and give your custom to this Kilburn ice cream van with its, um, ominous jingle.
Viral video by ebuzzing
Monday, 22 August 2011
What have I missed since August 15th?
It's been a week that started with more hand-wringing and has ended with major world news. But has it been silly season in West Hampstead?
There was finally a report on the stabbing in Kilburn from the week before.
The local Somali asylum seeker family got a lot of coverage.
The man who attacked someone by the Tricycle back in February was sentenced to 8 years.
Agents from Greene and Co. were found guilty of parking fraud.
Café Bon is taking over Wood Grill as well as Caffè West.
Two chocolate shops have moved into the area. The Cocoa Exchange on Belsize Rd, and a yet-to-be-named placed on Broadhurst Gardens.
The report of June's place shaping workshop for West Hampstead was published.
The blog launched a new section: Tom's Diner.
West Hampstead Wanderers won the league.
Can you help drive some old people to social events?
David Miliband came to LoveFood.
The New End Theatre in Hampstead has been forced to close - whether temporarily or permanently isn't clear.
West End Lane Books has launched a crime writing readers' group.
The Green Room has become Spiga - but is yet to open.
Whampgather sold out rather quicker than anticipated. If you have a ticket you know you can't use, please release it back or let me know - the waiting list is lengthy!
Tweet of the Week
More of a sort of public service announcement this week in a double-header ToTW:
There was finally a report on the stabbing in Kilburn from the week before.
The local Somali asylum seeker family got a lot of coverage.
The man who attacked someone by the Tricycle back in February was sentenced to 8 years.
Agents from Greene and Co. were found guilty of parking fraud.
Café Bon is taking over Wood Grill as well as Caffè West.
Two chocolate shops have moved into the area. The Cocoa Exchange on Belsize Rd, and a yet-to-be-named placed on Broadhurst Gardens.
The report of June's place shaping workshop for West Hampstead was published.
The blog launched a new section: Tom's Diner.
West Hampstead Wanderers won the league.
Can you help drive some old people to social events?
David Miliband came to LoveFood.
The New End Theatre in Hampstead has been forced to close - whether temporarily or permanently isn't clear.
West End Lane Books has launched a crime writing readers' group.
The Green Room has become Spiga - but is yet to open.
Whampgather sold out rather quicker than anticipated. If you have a ticket you know you can't use, please release it back or let me know - the waiting list is lengthy!
Tweet of the Week
More of a sort of public service announcement this week in a double-header ToTW:
Friday, 19 August 2011
At the diner on the corner
If you raise your eyes ever so slightly to the menu of pages under the logo, you'll spot a new one: "Tom's Diner". Not, obviously, my personal homage to Suzanne Vega (we all know Luka was a better song anyway), but the gastronomic musings of my new Food & Drink correspondent Tom.
Many of you know Tom, and will be aware that there could be no-one more enthusiastic about eating and drinking. Those that don't know him should understand that he probably contributes more to the local restaurant economy than the rest of us put together.*
His very personal thoughts on his drinking and dining experiences can be found here. We both hope you enjoy them.
*blatant exaggeration
Many of you know Tom, and will be aware that there could be no-one more enthusiastic about eating and drinking. Those that don't know him should understand that he probably contributes more to the local restaurant economy than the rest of us put together.*
His very personal thoughts on his drinking and dining experiences can be found here. We both hope you enjoy them.
*blatant exaggeration
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Contact the Elderly needs you
A guest blog by Charlotte, who needs your help:
My friend Kathleen recently turned 100.
“What’s your secret?” I asked as we tucked into tea and cake at a special party to celebrate her landmark birthday.
“I always eat wholemeal bread,” came the reply.
Kathleen is one of nine elderly people I really enjoy chatting to and spending time with on a monthly basis at our local Contact The Elderly tea parties.
Once a month myself and other volunteers pick up lonely elderly people in the North West London area who are unable to leave the house by themselves and take them to a tea party.
The parties take place at volunteer host’s houses between 3pm and 5pm – where guests are given tea, sandwiches and cakes and get the chance to chat. Our elderly friends really benefit from this social interaction and it clearly makes a massive difference to their lives.
It is also a lovely experience for the volunteers too, who not only get to enjoy tea and cake, but also all the amazing stories from years gone by.
Kathleen was born an only child in Dollis Hill in 1911 and worked for many years as a teacher in Willesden and Harrow. She has endless stories about travelling the world. In 1936 she made her first visit to Hamburg and then travelled on to Berlin where the Olympics were being held. Since then she has visited most of the European capitals, as well as the USA, Canada and Japan. It is a real privilege to spend time with her.
We rely on the goodwill of our drivers and also the hosts who throw open their homes to elderly guests for the tea parties but with nine elderly members now and not enough volunteers we are struggling.
We are now looking for new voluntary drivers to help pick guests up and also hosts willing to arrange a tea party perhaps once or twice a year.
Many of our guests are frail so any host home would need to have easy ground-floor access, a downstairs toilet available and a space large enough to seat around nine elderly guests comfortably. There will also be about five volunteers in attendance.
If you can help then please email charlotteward@fastmail.fm or call 0208 208 2021
My friend Kathleen recently turned 100.
“What’s your secret?” I asked as we tucked into tea and cake at a special party to celebrate her landmark birthday.
“I always eat wholemeal bread,” came the reply.
Kathleen is one of nine elderly people I really enjoy chatting to and spending time with on a monthly basis at our local Contact The Elderly tea parties.
Once a month myself and other volunteers pick up lonely elderly people in the North West London area who are unable to leave the house by themselves and take them to a tea party.
The parties take place at volunteer host’s houses between 3pm and 5pm – where guests are given tea, sandwiches and cakes and get the chance to chat. Our elderly friends really benefit from this social interaction and it clearly makes a massive difference to their lives.
It is also a lovely experience for the volunteers too, who not only get to enjoy tea and cake, but also all the amazing stories from years gone by.
Kathleen was born an only child in Dollis Hill in 1911 and worked for many years as a teacher in Willesden and Harrow. She has endless stories about travelling the world. In 1936 she made her first visit to Hamburg and then travelled on to Berlin where the Olympics were being held. Since then she has visited most of the European capitals, as well as the USA, Canada and Japan. It is a real privilege to spend time with her.
We rely on the goodwill of our drivers and also the hosts who throw open their homes to elderly guests for the tea parties but with nine elderly members now and not enough volunteers we are struggling.
We are now looking for new voluntary drivers to help pick guests up and also hosts willing to arrange a tea party perhaps once or twice a year.
Many of our guests are frail so any host home would need to have easy ground-floor access, a downstairs toilet available and a space large enough to seat around nine elderly guests comfortably. There will also be about five volunteers in attendance.
If you can help then please email charlotteward@fastmail.fm or call 0208 208 2021
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
West Hampstead place shaping workshop report
You may recall that at the end of June I was invited to join a "place shaping" workshop organised by Camden council. I wrote it up, but explained that the full report would be available later. That later is now. I received the document this morning. It's quite long so, although I feel it's a very fair reflection of at least my workshop (there were two in total), I'm not sure you need to read the whole thing unless you're really interested.
Therefore, I've circled paragraphs that I think capture the main points, and made a few annotations. It's important to clarify that the purpose of this was not to find solutions, but to try and establish some common purpose that can inform decisions taken by the council. Of course, much of what came up is not really in the council's purview, and to some extent the least tangible concepts of community are up to residents to demonstrate themselves. Do leave comments and (if they're appropriate) I can pass them back into the whole process.
West Hampstead Shaping the Future Workshop Final Report
Therefore, I've circled paragraphs that I think capture the main points, and made a few annotations. It's important to clarify that the purpose of this was not to find solutions, but to try and establish some common purpose that can inform decisions taken by the council. Of course, much of what came up is not really in the council's purview, and to some extent the least tangible concepts of community are up to residents to demonstrate themselves. Do leave comments and (if they're appropriate) I can pass them back into the whole process.
West Hampstead Shaping the Future Workshop Final Report
Monday, 15 August 2011
Slightly stunned
I confess to being very (pleasantly) surprised at the speed at which Whampgather tickets went. All the tickets have been snapped up in less than 24 hours. We are now at the legal limit of the Priory Tavern, so I can't release more even though a) I know that not everyone will turn up and b) even if they did they probably wouldn't be there at the same time. But I don't think it would be a very responsible move.
There is a waiting list for #whampgather (register below). I'm quite sure that not everyone who has tickets will be able to make it, so if you've missed out then please put yourself on the waiting list.
If you have tickets and realise at some stage that you won't be able to use any or all of them, please let me know so the waiting list people can have them.
In the meantime, thank you all for your enthusiasm - it promises to be a great night! Ideally, please bring your printed tickets with you, although we'll accept smartphone tickets, and will have the ticketholder names on the door. Afraid that as things stand, we can't take last minute +1s.
There is a waiting list for #whampgather (register below). I'm quite sure that not everyone who has tickets will be able to make it, so if you've missed out then please put yourself on the waiting list.
If you have tickets and realise at some stage that you won't be able to use any or all of them, please let me know so the waiting list people can have them.
In the meantime, thank you all for your enthusiasm - it promises to be a great night! Ideally, please bring your printed tickets with you, although we'll accept smartphone tickets, and will have the ticketholder names on the door. Afraid that as things stand, we can't take last minute +1s.
What have I missed since August 8th?
Not sure whether you heard about this, but there was some rioting and a lot of looting on the streets of England this week. There may have been other news in places like... ooh, I don't know, Syria and East Africa, for example. But mostly the news was about stolen PS3s and a "visible police presence". But what happened in and around West Hampstead this week?
Monday night saw some damage in Kilburn and West Hampstead.
On Tuesday night, there was trouble in St John's Wood, although arrests were later made.
Reactions came from the leader of Camden council, local MPs, and Paul Perkins of youth charity The Winch. And from local (apparently) Camila Batmanghelidjh of Kids Company on Question Time.
And, on Monday morning before things really deteriorated across London, from me on the Londonist Out Loud podcast. I also penned a few words about the experience.
Away from the riots and general tension, there was other news. The Jewish Community Centre on Finchley Road is starting to take shape.
There was a "Brooms and Lollipops Protest" planned for Saturday in Kilburn.
The planning application to knock down the historic Ebenezer Chapel on Kilburn Vale was withdrawn.
A steam train stopped at West Hampstead overground.
An inquest heard how a West Hampstead man fell to his death from a flat window.
There was a car accident outside The Priory Tavern on Sunday evening. No-one was hurt.
The horses from St John's Wood barracks caused some disruption on West End Lane.
Mill Lane store Dass has started Sunday morning bread/pain au chocolat deliveries.
Tweet of the Week
Almost impossible to choose this week, especially given the volume of tweets on Monday and Tuesday. In the end I liked this one from SJ, sent on Tuesday around the time I think we all realised we would probably have a calmer night than many had feared.
Monday night saw some damage in Kilburn and West Hampstead.
On Tuesday night, there was trouble in St John's Wood, although arrests were later made.
Reactions came from the leader of Camden council, local MPs, and Paul Perkins of youth charity The Winch. And from local (apparently) Camila Batmanghelidjh of Kids Company on Question Time.
And, on Monday morning before things really deteriorated across London, from me on the Londonist Out Loud podcast. I also penned a few words about the experience.
Away from the riots and general tension, there was other news. The Jewish Community Centre on Finchley Road is starting to take shape.
There was a "Brooms and Lollipops Protest" planned for Saturday in Kilburn.
The planning application to knock down the historic Ebenezer Chapel on Kilburn Vale was withdrawn.
A steam train stopped at West Hampstead overground.
An inquest heard how a West Hampstead man fell to his death from a flat window.
There was a car accident outside The Priory Tavern on Sunday evening. No-one was hurt.
The horses from St John's Wood barracks caused some disruption on West End Lane.
Mill Lane store Dass has started Sunday morning bread/pain au chocolat deliveries.
Tweet of the Week
Almost impossible to choose this week, especially given the volume of tweets on Monday and Tuesday. In the end I liked this one from SJ, sent on Tuesday around the time I think we all realised we would probably have a calmer night than many had feared.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Whampgather VII - Four Worlds Collide
It's that time again... no, not Hammer Time; not even "business time". It's whampgather time.
If you've been knocking around the world of whamp for a while, you'll know the drill. Every few months, we organise a large get together. It used to be a tweet-up, but tweet-ups are a bit passé these days, and plenty of non-tweeters turn up (and are very welcome). So, it's more a hyperlocal gathering. On September 8th, we'll have number 7 (read about previous ones).
For this whampgather I've extended the invitation beyond the borders to some of our neighbouring hyperlocals: St John's Wood, Swiss Cottage, Maida Vale and of course Kilburn. Lets make this this biggest whampgather ever!
Very excitingly, this wll be only the second gather where we have exclusive use of a venue. And what a venue. The incredibly popular Priory Tavern has very kindly given us the pub for the night. If you're in the know you'll be aware that this means amazing cocktails (as well as great beer and wine), so look out on the night for some very special customised local concoctions. Food will also be available. We're starting earlier than usual - 7pm, so you might want to come straight from work
I'm also really pleased to announce that DJ Sid Trotter (a regular at The Good Ship) will be providing the music. There will of course be the chance to win fab local prizes in the raffle (with all money raised going to The Winch).
Best of all, there's the chance to meet some fellow locals. I realise some people aren't sure about meeting people "off the internet", but hopefully, the fact that we're on No.7 of these events and each one is bigger and better than the last proves that people enjoy it. So why not take a gamble and come along? Everyone is remarkably friendly, the age range is wider than you might imagine, and it's neither geeky nor cliquey - just a bunch of great people who happen to live in the area.
What now? For the first time, this will be a ticketed event. It's still free of course, but if you'd like to come along then please order tickets here. There is a maximum capacity, so I suggest ordering sooner rather than later to ensure your place.
If you don't know the Priory Tavern, it's on the southern edge of West Hampstead on Belsize Road (between Kilburn High Rd and Priory Rd, near Little Bay). It's a five minute walk from Kilburn Park tube, amd a brisk 10 minute walk from West Hampstead tube. If you're coming from the northern reaches, I'd suggest a bus down the Kilburn High Road and if you're coming from Swiss Cottage or St John's Wood, then the 31 bus.
See you there!
If you've been knocking around the world of whamp for a while, you'll know the drill. Every few months, we organise a large get together. It used to be a tweet-up, but tweet-ups are a bit passé these days, and plenty of non-tweeters turn up (and are very welcome). So, it's more a hyperlocal gathering. On September 8th, we'll have number 7 (read about previous ones).
For this whampgather I've extended the invitation beyond the borders to some of our neighbouring hyperlocals: St John's Wood, Swiss Cottage, Maida Vale and of course Kilburn. Lets make this this biggest whampgather ever!
Very excitingly, this wll be only the second gather where we have exclusive use of a venue. And what a venue. The incredibly popular Priory Tavern has very kindly given us the pub for the night. If you're in the know you'll be aware that this means amazing cocktails (as well as great beer and wine), so look out on the night for some very special customised local concoctions. Food will also be available. We're starting earlier than usual - 7pm, so you might want to come straight from work
I'm also really pleased to announce that DJ Sid Trotter (a regular at The Good Ship) will be providing the music. There will of course be the chance to win fab local prizes in the raffle (with all money raised going to The Winch).
Best of all, there's the chance to meet some fellow locals. I realise some people aren't sure about meeting people "off the internet", but hopefully, the fact that we're on No.7 of these events and each one is bigger and better than the last proves that people enjoy it. So why not take a gamble and come along? Everyone is remarkably friendly, the age range is wider than you might imagine, and it's neither geeky nor cliquey - just a bunch of great people who happen to live in the area.
What now? For the first time, this will be a ticketed event. It's still free of course, but if you'd like to come along then please order tickets here. There is a maximum capacity, so I suggest ordering sooner rather than later to ensure your place.
If you don't know the Priory Tavern, it's on the southern edge of West Hampstead on Belsize Road (between Kilburn High Rd and Priory Rd, near Little Bay). It's a five minute walk from Kilburn Park tube, amd a brisk 10 minute walk from West Hampstead tube. If you're coming from the northern reaches, I'd suggest a bus down the Kilburn High Road and if you're coming from Swiss Cottage or St John's Wood, then the 31 bus.
See you there!
Friday, 12 August 2011
On the record with Londonist
On Monday morning I found myself in Hackney Wick - bit out of my usual patch. I was there with @BarnetEye to contribute to the Londonist Out Loud podcast, hosted by the hugely likeable and professional N Quentin Woolf.
It was a strange time to be talking all things London. The riots of Sunday night were of course fresh in everyone's mind, but we obviously didn't know that the situation was going to escalate later that day. So, we joined everyone else in speculating wildly about the context. At this stage I didn't feel I had much to add given that north-west London had yet to feel any effects from the trouble. I would have had a lot more to say had we recorded on Tuesday morning, both about the damage and the social media implications.
The whole experience was fun - oddly, aside from the rioting there wasn't a lot of other fascinating London news to discuss, but we seemed to cover a fair amount of ground.
If you want to listen to me ramble on riots, blogging, and communities then you can do so.
Hold your horses
West Hampstead residents are fairly used to seeing horses clip-clopping their way down West End Lane. As most of us know, we are home to one of the Metropolitan Police's eight stables. Almost every day the horses are taken out for a stroll around the area. Although this is primarily for exercise, it's not uncommon to see mounted police stopping people - they are on duty after all.
Less frequently, we see even more horses on our streets. The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery is based at a barracks in St John's Wood.
The barracks itself is privately owned, but will close after more than 200 years in operation. The owners announced back in June that they were going to sell off the land, which is expected to fetch more than £250 million.
The "troop" is often seen in convoy on Finchley Road, but this morning was spotted (and snapped by the aptly named in this case @cyberdonkey) heading north up West End Lane, prompting tweets ranging from "makes an amazing noise", to "try and be more inconvenient". They won't be inconveniencing us any more once they move to Woolwich.
Less frequently, we see even more horses on our streets. The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery is based at a barracks in St John's Wood.
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| Click for large version |
The barracks itself is privately owned, but will close after more than 200 years in operation. The owners announced back in June that they were going to sell off the land, which is expected to fetch more than £250 million.
The "troop" is often seen in convoy on Finchley Road, but this morning was spotted (and snapped by the aptly named in this case @cyberdonkey) heading north up West End Lane, prompting tweets ranging from "makes an amazing noise", to "try and be more inconvenient". They won't be inconveniencing us any more once they move to Woolwich.
 | |
| King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery on West End Lane Photo via @cyberdonkey |
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Largely unscathed
West Hampstead and surrouding areas escaped Monday night's widespread rioting and looting relatively unscathed. Despite the rumour mill working overtime when it came to Kilburn the actual damage there was limited to the Vodafone shop on the High Road. This was broken into and stock was stolen but apparently the police were on the scene very quickly.
The Guardian reported that 20 people had been arrested in Kilburn and it seems that generally whenever there was a crowd gathering, the police dispersed them fairly rapidly. This approach appeared to work well.
As I was tweeting into the early hours of Tuesday, I did feel nervous for the first time as there were reports of groups of young men heading down Adelaide Road towards Swiss Cottage and down Belsize Park in the same direction. I had visions of them coming through West Hampstead to get to Kilburn, or just stopping off in West Hampstead itself.
In the end the impact locally was very limited. The bottom pane of glass at Flower Gallery, the florists by the tube station, had been smashed - which could have happened any night really. By Finchley Road tube, Parkheath estate agents was broken into and their posh iMacs were stolen. I heard today that this wasn't really a rampage, but was done quite carefully, and I also heard that they chose to install Windows rather than Apple's operating system, which will surprise the eventual owners.
Anyway, back to the verified facts... the only other casualty in the area was Carphone Warehouse on the corner of Burrard Rd and Finchley Rd, up in the north of West Hampstead. This took a bit of a battering, but that was pretty much it for our part of the world. Real Radio Scotland interviewed a witness.
I took a walk through Kilburn on Tuesday morning to check the damage for myself. The Vodafone shop certainly had been hit and there was a police car parked outside and police tape round the entrance. Reports of damage to one of Halfords' windows were also correct - just a bit late: this had happened a few weeks earlier. Finally, there was some concern when staff were spotted sweeping water and minor debris out of one of the entrances to Poundland, but a quick enquiry revealed that a pipe in the ceiling had burst. Shit happens.
I took another turn through Kilburn mid-afternoon amid rumours that the police presence was increasing and after the Guardian reported that the police were telling shops on the High Road to close. It was a sunny day, and although not as busy as usual, the main drag was still bustly. Some shops were closed, notably TKMaxx, Primark, Phones4U and HSBC. Others, such as Sainsbury's main store, had strong security on the door. There were no police to be seen. Eventually, I came across four constables heading north on foot patrol and asked one about the instruction to shops. He looked blank and shook his head. He said they weren't advising shops what to do, although some of course were closing and it was an individual choice.
This was contradicted sometime later by a pub landlord and a member of the public who said he had stood there while a café owner had been advised to close although the timings of these events weren't clear. Anyway, as the afternoon wore on it became clear that most larger shops were certainly closing earlier than usual. Sainsbury's obviously had an edict to close its "Local" stores at 6pm, as the shops in Kilburn, West Hampstead and Willesden all shut at the same time.
Despite this, and a distinct tension in the air, West End Lane was busy with people determined to enjoy the good weather, sitting outside the bars and cafés in the evening sun. This wasn't "normal" though. A police car came hurtling up Lymington Road and swung left on West End Lane. Nothing especially unusual about this, but everyone stopped in their tracks and watched it.
Hopefully, as the atmosphere cools in the capital we won't have a repeat of Monday night over the next few days.
 |
| Photo via Mike Katz |
The Guardian reported that 20 people had been arrested in Kilburn and it seems that generally whenever there was a crowd gathering, the police dispersed them fairly rapidly. This approach appeared to work well.
As I was tweeting into the early hours of Tuesday, I did feel nervous for the first time as there were reports of groups of young men heading down Adelaide Road towards Swiss Cottage and down Belsize Park in the same direction. I had visions of them coming through West Hampstead to get to Kilburn, or just stopping off in West Hampstead itself.
In the end the impact locally was very limited. The bottom pane of glass at Flower Gallery, the florists by the tube station, had been smashed - which could have happened any night really. By Finchley Road tube, Parkheath estate agents was broken into and their posh iMacs were stolen. I heard today that this wasn't really a rampage, but was done quite carefully, and I also heard that they chose to install Windows rather than Apple's operating system, which will surprise the eventual owners.
 |
| Photo via @RentalflatsNW6 |
 |
| Photo via @msjlucas |
I took a walk through Kilburn on Tuesday morning to check the damage for myself. The Vodafone shop certainly had been hit and there was a police car parked outside and police tape round the entrance. Reports of damage to one of Halfords' windows were also correct - just a bit late: this had happened a few weeks earlier. Finally, there was some concern when staff were spotted sweeping water and minor debris out of one of the entrances to Poundland, but a quick enquiry revealed that a pipe in the ceiling had burst. Shit happens.
I took another turn through Kilburn mid-afternoon amid rumours that the police presence was increasing and after the Guardian reported that the police were telling shops on the High Road to close. It was a sunny day, and although not as busy as usual, the main drag was still bustly. Some shops were closed, notably TKMaxx, Primark, Phones4U and HSBC. Others, such as Sainsbury's main store, had strong security on the door. There were no police to be seen. Eventually, I came across four constables heading north on foot patrol and asked one about the instruction to shops. He looked blank and shook his head. He said they weren't advising shops what to do, although some of course were closing and it was an individual choice.
This was contradicted sometime later by a pub landlord and a member of the public who said he had stood there while a café owner had been advised to close although the timings of these events weren't clear. Anyway, as the afternoon wore on it became clear that most larger shops were certainly closing earlier than usual. Sainsbury's obviously had an edict to close its "Local" stores at 6pm, as the shops in Kilburn, West Hampstead and Willesden all shut at the same time.
Despite this, and a distinct tension in the air, West End Lane was busy with people determined to enjoy the good weather, sitting outside the bars and cafés in the evening sun. This wasn't "normal" though. A police car came hurtling up Lymington Road and swung left on West End Lane. Nothing especially unusual about this, but everyone stopped in their tracks and watched it.
Hopefully, as the atmosphere cools in the capital we won't have a repeat of Monday night over the next few days.
Monday, 8 August 2011
Live tweeting a quiet night in Kilburn
It's been a busy evening on Twitter. Naturally, I have a search set up for "Kilburn" in my timeline and from late afternoon it seemed that every other message came from someone suggesting that riots were going to kick off in Kilburn.
It became increasingly hard to determine fact from speculation from deliberate fanning of the flames - whether for fun or for more sinister motives.
Finally, I began to get more convincing sounding reports, many from people I know and trust, that said there wasn't much happening. It became clear that there was a substantial police presence, and that shops were closing... although it was approaching 6pm, so some were closing anyway. Around 6.30pm someone tweeted that all the banks were closed. No kidding.
There began to be more reports of small groups of young men mooching up and down the road, some with masks. Initially skeptical I refrained from retweeting this, but eventually I was convinced. Several people were doing trawls of the entire High Road to see what was happening - after all Kilburn High Road is a mile long - and reporting that there was no actual trouble. Then there were solid reports that police were stopping some peole and shortly after the Guardian's Simon Rodgers tweeted that 20 people had been arrested in Kilburn.
I'm willing to trust the Guardian, so lets assume this is true. The Guardian's rolling riot coverage read:
Unfortunately, the Guardian then tweeted this:
Harder to unravel were those messages from people I know who hear something from someone they know and - in a commendable effort to be helpful - ping me to keep me up to speed. With so many people tweeting though, one isolated report without a picture is to be taken with a large pinch of salt. In every single case, further investigation revealed that the reported fact simply wasn't true. Many were either misunderstandings, or nuance was lost in the brevity of Twitter, or it was the product of over-active imaginations. But each one gets retweeted, especially when it's written by someone with a lot of followers, before there's a chance to contradict it and the whole thing starts again.
Part of me wonders whether it's worth doing this - I'm under no illusion that fighting (with some very able allies - thanks to Julius_Geezer in particular) all the misinformation has any impact on what might happen, but it does seem worthwhile to allay people's genuine fears.
More importantly, I would much rather be spending an evening trying to counter some misinformation than writing about looting, arson and general thuggery in the neighbourhood. In the parlance of the day, stay classy Kilburn.
It became increasingly hard to determine fact from speculation from deliberate fanning of the flames - whether for fun or for more sinister motives.
Finally, I began to get more convincing sounding reports, many from people I know and trust, that said there wasn't much happening. It became clear that there was a substantial police presence, and that shops were closing... although it was approaching 6pm, so some were closing anyway. Around 6.30pm someone tweeted that all the banks were closed. No kidding.
There began to be more reports of small groups of young men mooching up and down the road, some with masks. Initially skeptical I refrained from retweeting this, but eventually I was convinced. Several people were doing trawls of the entire High Road to see what was happening - after all Kilburn High Road is a mile long - and reporting that there was no actual trouble. Then there were solid reports that police were stopping some peole and shortly after the Guardian's Simon Rodgers tweeted that 20 people had been arrested in Kilburn.
I'm willing to trust the Guardian, so lets assume this is true. The Guardian's rolling riot coverage read:
"Kilburn, in north west London, has also seen trouble reports Simon Rodgers. He says there have been 20 arrests near Kilburn High Road. Youths are roaming around the area, Simon says."This seemed a fair reflection of the situation, and was clearly chicken feed compared to the serious situation in Hackney, Peckham and Lewisham.
Unfortunately, the Guardian then tweeted this:
Follow LIVE #LondonRiots updates as trouble spreads to #Croydon #Kilburn and #Birmingham http://gu.com/p/3x4he/tw.Of course this got RTd to death and suddenly perfectly sane people were understandably concerned. Of course the news moved on, nothing at all happened in Kilburn, and the Guardian carried on talking about the serious problems in Croydon and Clapham. Is it too much to expect a follow-up to say that Kilburn was calm? I know the journalists are stretched, so maybe it is too much. This isn't meant to be a Guardian-bashing post anyway. But it's indicative of the challenge journalists and responsible tweeters/bloggers have in trying to be up-to-date with events while not falling for seductive sounding "breaking news" tweets. People like to give their false reports authenticity... "my aunt says..." "a colleague rang me to say...", etc. But it's fairly easy to weed those out.
Harder to unravel were those messages from people I know who hear something from someone they know and - in a commendable effort to be helpful - ping me to keep me up to speed. With so many people tweeting though, one isolated report without a picture is to be taken with a large pinch of salt. In every single case, further investigation revealed that the reported fact simply wasn't true. Many were either misunderstandings, or nuance was lost in the brevity of Twitter, or it was the product of over-active imaginations. But each one gets retweeted, especially when it's written by someone with a lot of followers, before there's a chance to contradict it and the whole thing starts again.
Part of me wonders whether it's worth doing this - I'm under no illusion that fighting (with some very able allies - thanks to Julius_Geezer in particular) all the misinformation has any impact on what might happen, but it does seem worthwhile to allay people's genuine fears.
More importantly, I would much rather be spending an evening trying to counter some misinformation than writing about looting, arson and general thuggery in the neighbourhood. In the parlance of the day, stay classy Kilburn.
What have I missed since July 31st?
It's August - traditionally the quiet news month. So we've just had the US's credit rating downgraded, financial market meltdown, and riots in north London. Wake me up when there's some real news. Have things been livelier in West Hampstead and surrounding areas? Well, actually it's been extremely quiet in the 'hood this week
The Ham & High reported a spate of muggings of teenage boys, notably on Mill Lane and around the O2 centre.
Meanwhile, the Camden New Journal tried hard to dig up a less positive take on the Billy Fury mural.
Lewis Hamilton apparently popped into West Hampstead (not just a sighting, someone spoke to him!).
Kingsgate Community Centre's popular Cafe Mangobajito has closed.
The Tricycle is launching a Sunday Music Series featuring string chamber music and starting on Sunday 14th August.
Despite being the national "team of the season", West Hampstead Hockey Club might need a new ground before the season starts again in October.
Talking of great local sports teams, West Hampstead Wanderers won its 5-a-side league, just pipping West Hampstaed Athletic on goal difference. Athletic spun off from the Wanderers' underperforming 7-a-side team of earlier in the year.
And er... that's all folks.
Except of course for Tweet of the Week.
(want to see your business promoted here?)
The Ham & High reported a spate of muggings of teenage boys, notably on Mill Lane and around the O2 centre.
Meanwhile, the Camden New Journal tried hard to dig up a less positive take on the Billy Fury mural.
Lewis Hamilton apparently popped into West Hampstead (not just a sighting, someone spoke to him!).
Kingsgate Community Centre's popular Cafe Mangobajito has closed.
The Tricycle is launching a Sunday Music Series featuring string chamber music and starting on Sunday 14th August.
Despite being the national "team of the season", West Hampstead Hockey Club might need a new ground before the season starts again in October.
Talking of great local sports teams, West Hampstead Wanderers won its 5-a-side league, just pipping West Hampstaed Athletic on goal difference. Athletic spun off from the Wanderers' underperforming 7-a-side team of earlier in the year.
And er... that's all folks.
Except of course for Tweet of the Week.
(want to see your business promoted here?)
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