Initially, the blog was to complement my @WHampstead twitter account, but it has become increasingly self-standing. Nevertheless, it supports my broader Twitter project, which is to facilitate people actually meeting each other and strengthening the sense of community as well as being a platform to share local news/ideas/thoughts. It is about conversations not broadcasting. It seems to work. News on the blog and Twitter is of course West Hampstead focused with a definite nod to Kilburn, but there are also active members of the group from Swiss Cottage, Hampstead and Willesden. So say hi and join in.
Who are you?
Oh, yes, hi. I'm Jonathan. I've lived in and around the area since 1998, barring a couple of spells living abroad.
I heard you organise get-togethers. When's the next one?
March 28th. They're known as Whampgathers - follow #whampgather hashtag on Twitter. These are ticketed events as we max out venues' capacity (we had 160 at the last one). Tickets go fast but it's always worth being on the waiting list as people inevitably drop out - at the last one we went right through the waiting list! [NB: for this March whampgather there is no waiting list, I've simply allocated more tickets to start with. Look out for tweets a couple of days beforehand to see if there are any extra tickets being released]. Sign up to the mailing list to be the first to know when the tickets become available.
What is whampgather exactly?
It's just a big local party. It began as a Twitter-focused event, but has expanded since then - you certainly don't have to be on Twitter to come along, so feel free to bring friends/flatmates. It's a great chance to meet people from the area.
The first one was October 2009 with a small but select turnout, and was a big success. The second one in December filled The Alice House. Then in mid-March we went to The Gardens on Broadhurst Gardens. We had exclusive room hire for the first time and @DJ Stoney kept the vibe right with live music requests. We branched out in the summer of 2010 and had a picnic on Hampstead Heath in August. Before Christmas 2010 we took over the back of The Lion, and returned there for the first gather of 2011. There was no midsummer whampgather in 2011, instead we had a Secret BBQ. Then we took over the Priory Tavern in September and again in January. Summer 2012 was jam-packed with events, including the first Sunday Lunch #whampgather at The Black Lion, which was marginally more sober than usual and a second BBQ! Then in mid-November we had our biggest whampgather ever when 160 people turned up to The Alliance. There is usually a raffle at #whampgather with prizes ranging from NW6-branded clothing, to meals at The Wet Fish Café, vouchers for local shops, and eco-kits for your flat. Money raised goes to The Winchester Project - a local youth charity. We have raised more than £1,100 from the last two whampgathers alone.
But I won't know anyone?
That's sort of the point. These events are an excellent way to meet some locals - they're pretty big, so there are bound to be some people you're going to like. I know that it can seem as if lots of people already know each other, and lots of us do... but we all met at events like this or whampreview. Everyone's been a whampgather virgin at some stage - people are very welcoming and friendly (without it being a weird cult - there'll be no shaving of heads unless you get very drunk and demand it) so just dive in and say hi. By all means come with partners/friends/flatmates, but at some point break free and chat to someone you don't know!
March 28th. They're known as Whampgathers - follow #whampgather hashtag on Twitter. These are ticketed events as we max out venues' capacity (we had 160 at the last one). Tickets go fast but it's always worth being on the waiting list as people inevitably drop out - at the last one we went right through the waiting list! [NB: for this March whampgather there is no waiting list, I've simply allocated more tickets to start with. Look out for tweets a couple of days beforehand to see if there are any extra tickets being released]. Sign up to the mailing list to be the first to know when the tickets become available.
What is whampgather exactly?
It's just a big local party. It began as a Twitter-focused event, but has expanded since then - you certainly don't have to be on Twitter to come along, so feel free to bring friends/flatmates. It's a great chance to meet people from the area.
The first one was October 2009 with a small but select turnout, and was a big success. The second one in December filled The Alice House. Then in mid-March we went to The Gardens on Broadhurst Gardens. We had exclusive room hire for the first time and @DJ Stoney kept the vibe right with live music requests. We branched out in the summer of 2010 and had a picnic on Hampstead Heath in August. Before Christmas 2010 we took over the back of The Lion, and returned there for the first gather of 2011. There was no midsummer whampgather in 2011, instead we had a Secret BBQ. Then we took over the Priory Tavern in September and again in January. Summer 2012 was jam-packed with events, including the first Sunday Lunch #whampgather at The Black Lion, which was marginally more sober than usual and a second BBQ! Then in mid-November we had our biggest whampgather ever when 160 people turned up to The Alliance. There is usually a raffle at #whampgather with prizes ranging from NW6-branded clothing, to meals at The Wet Fish Café, vouchers for local shops, and eco-kits for your flat. Money raised goes to The Winchester Project - a local youth charity. We have raised more than £1,100 from the last two whampgathers alone.
But I won't know anyone?
That's sort of the point. These events are an excellent way to meet some locals - they're pretty big, so there are bound to be some people you're going to like. I know that it can seem as if lots of people already know each other, and lots of us do... but we all met at events like this or whampreview. Everyone's been a whampgather virgin at some stage - people are very welcoming and friendly (without it being a weird cult - there'll be no shaving of heads unless you get very drunk and demand it) so just dive in and say hi. By all means come with partners/friends/flatmates, but at some point break free and chat to someone you don't know!
When's the next restaurant review?
April 25th. Look out for the #whampreview tag on Twitter for updates or sign up to the mailing list to be the first to hear about future events.
What's the deal?
Initially, we went out in a group of 8 to local restaurants and gave our verdict. In this format we visited the Czech & Slovak National House, Le Petit Coin (since closed), The Rotisserie, LoveFood (when it had a restaurant downstairs), Mill Lane Bistro (under its previous owners) Hidden Treasure, The Arches, Small & Beautiful, Barraco, Gung-Ho, and Ariana II. Then, due to high demand, we upped the numbers. In October last year, 17 of us went to The Wet Fish Café, 24 of us took over Spiga in November, and 22 of us went to Ladudu in December. This year, 32 of us went to Little Bay in March and 24 of us enjoyed Guglee in April, and then 18 of us descended on One Blenheim Terrace. After a long hiatus, we had a special whampreview in November at Feng Sushi with demonstrations and an amazing set menu for 30 of us. We kicked off 2013 when we took over Mill Lane Bistro on a cold January night, and followed this up with a meal at relative newcomer Hana, when 24 of us dived into the dips and grilled meat selection.
These events are usually oversubscribed, in which case I will draw names out of a hat. If you are picked then I will need your mobile number and an active e-mail address.
We meet beforehand for a drink, and during the meal the person hosting each table (that's usually me, Tom and a guest host) will note down your comments on the food/service/value etc. The bill is split equally unless there's been a large discrepancy in consumption!
Please don't sign up on the offchance that you might be free - we're making large bookings at local restaurants and it's not fair on them (or me) if we have lots of dropouts. Of course some cancellations are inevitable and this can mean that I advertise last-minute places, so keep your eyes peeled if you missed out.
April 25th. Look out for the #whampreview tag on Twitter for updates or sign up to the mailing list to be the first to hear about future events.
What's the deal?
Initially, we went out in a group of 8 to local restaurants and gave our verdict. In this format we visited the Czech & Slovak National House, Le Petit Coin (since closed), The Rotisserie, LoveFood (when it had a restaurant downstairs), Mill Lane Bistro (under its previous owners) Hidden Treasure, The Arches, Small & Beautiful, Barraco, Gung-Ho, and Ariana II. Then, due to high demand, we upped the numbers. In October last year, 17 of us went to The Wet Fish Café, 24 of us took over Spiga in November, and 22 of us went to Ladudu in December. This year, 32 of us went to Little Bay in March and 24 of us enjoyed Guglee in April, and then 18 of us descended on One Blenheim Terrace. After a long hiatus, we had a special whampreview in November at Feng Sushi with demonstrations and an amazing set menu for 30 of us. We kicked off 2013 when we took over Mill Lane Bistro on a cold January night, and followed this up with a meal at relative newcomer Hana, when 24 of us dived into the dips and grilled meat selection.
These events are usually oversubscribed, in which case I will draw names out of a hat. If you are picked then I will need your mobile number and an active e-mail address.
We meet beforehand for a drink, and during the meal the person hosting each table (that's usually me, Tom and a guest host) will note down your comments on the food/service/value etc. The bill is split equally unless there's been a large discrepancy in consumption!
Please don't sign up on the offchance that you might be free - we're making large bookings at local restaurants and it's not fair on them (or me) if we have lots of dropouts. Of course some cancellations are inevitable and this can mean that I advertise last-minute places, so keep your eyes peeled if you missed out.
What other opportunities are there to meet up?
There are occasional lunches (#whamplunch) for those people around during the day. We've had three "lock-ins" at West End Lane Books (#whampbooks) with wine and discounts and a fashion evening at The Private Space (#whampstyle). There's a fairly regular crowd at The Good Ship in Kilburn for Monday night comedy and, with so many locals now connected, impromptu get togethers are quite common - usually arranged via Twitter. If you'd like to organise something, please do - I'm happy to support although I can't take the lead on everything. I have a calendar of events, if there's something you'd like to add to it then please let me know (this is for charity/community events rather than commercial listings, which are entirely at my discretion).
How do I stay on top of local travel news?
To keep up to date with all the local transport news follow and use the #whamptravel hashtag on Twitter. I can't promise permanent real-time travel news but this has proved a good way for locals to keep up with both longer-term problems and immediate issues, often ahead of TfL or BBC travel alerts. If you come across any incidents affecting local travel (tube delays beyond the normal ones, accidents, unusual congestion, bus problems etc.) please tweet them with the #whamptravel tag. I don't usually RT messages that contain the hashtag, so you make my life easier and also ensure that everyone sees them even if I'm still in bed!
But what about the Jubilee Line closures?
Er, they're done. The upgrade work is finally complete. Obviously there are odd closures from time to time, but that's true across the network.
What other hashtags are there?
The #whamp prefix has been attached to all manner of things - some serious, some ridiculous. #whampvote is used for all things election and politics related as well as the semi-official constituency hashtag #handk. #whampstead, #whampcrime, #whampfood and #whampshops are all used fairly frequently
Do you do anything apart from eating and drinking?
Yes. Part of being in a community - especially somewhere as diverse as this part of London - is supporting people who maybe need a bit of help. #whampforgood is the name for our charitable endeavours. After all, a community isn't just nice cappuccinos and moaning about the Jubilee Line. In 2010 we supported The Winch, specifically trying to meet some of its operational needs through the skills and contacts of you lot. This relationship has continued and we've now raised more than £1,900 for The Winch through raffles at #whampgather.
We've already provided volunteers for events, someone to make a promotional film for them, production designers, web designers and more, as well as raising money here and there. One fund-raising event in 2009 was #whampcarol. East London Brass played Christmas music in the freezing cold outside the library on West End Lane while hardly volunteers collected money for The Winch and the band itself, which supports young people through music. People were remarkably generous, especially the guy in the Alice House (where we went to defrost after) who gave us £60 for two carols.
Yes. Part of being in a community - especially somewhere as diverse as this part of London - is supporting people who maybe need a bit of help. #whampforgood is the name for our charitable endeavours. After all, a community isn't just nice cappuccinos and moaning about the Jubilee Line. In 2010 we supported The Winch, specifically trying to meet some of its operational needs through the skills and contacts of you lot. This relationship has continued and we've now raised more than £1,900 for The Winch through raffles at #whampgather.
We've already provided volunteers for events, someone to make a promotional film for them, production designers, web designers and more, as well as raising money here and there. One fund-raising event in 2009 was #whampcarol. East London Brass played Christmas music in the freezing cold outside the library on West End Lane while hardly volunteers collected money for The Winch and the band itself, which supports young people through music. People were remarkably generous, especially the guy in the Alice House (where we went to defrost after) who gave us £60 for two carols.
I follow you on Twitter, why don't you follow me back?
There are lots of reasons why I don't follow everyone back. If you do live in the immediate area and I'm not following you then please send me an @message and tell me. If I followed everyone - especially those who never tweet about local stuff - then I'd miss more and more of your local news and stories. Therefore, I have to be a bit selective. I'm always very amenable to @replies though, if you want to ask a question or comment on a local story. I do also keep an eye on my follower list and adapt my unfollows/follows as things evolve.
