Author: Blake Foster

The Vine is the definition of a hidden gem, tucked away in Laurie Walk right by The Liberty Shopping Centre’s exit onto Market Place. If you didn’t know it was there, you could easily miss it, and – as an independent cafe – it is also a rarity inside a big shopping centre like The Liberty. However, when I popped in on a market day the cafe was thriving – so much so that I bagged one of the last few tables. The veggie pancake breakfast was simply delicious (Image: Charlotte Anderson) READ MORE: New Halal butchers set to open…

Don’t miss out on You Garden’s Black Friday offers which start today!   From its festive Standard Holly Trees with ‘Pinecone Planters’, best-selling Acer palmatum ‘Taylor’ to the perfect gift of the Amaryllis – ‘Red Velvet’ Growing Kit, there are a plethora of plants, trees and flowers included in the offer. With easy ways to order, you will save 15% (exclusions apply) on some of the top sellers from now until Monday.   Classic ‘Old English’ Shrub Rose Collection from You Garden (Image: You Garden)   Classic ‘Old English’ Shrub Rose Collection Introduce an enviable sway of colour to your…

The south London shopping district announced the line-up of events on November 19, aiming to fill the area with festive cheer. The festivities are set to begin on November 29 with the official launch day. These celebrations will continue every weekend until New Year’s Eve. The calendar features a range of activities to appeal to all ages, from Santa visits to brass bands and glitter tattoos. Shoppers will also be able to browse a “Wonder Window” which will showcase gifts from Brixton Village’s independent retailers. The shopping experience will be enhanced further by the Wrap Bar, which will offer a…

Canvas & Cream, located on London Road in Forest Hill, has requested a full variation of its premises licence from Lewisham Council. The application details several changes, including an extension of the hours for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises. The café seeks permission to serve alcohol from 9am to 10am, Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, it wishes to serve alcohol from 9am to 12pm and from midnight to 1am on Saturdays and Sundays. Canvas & Cream also wants to add plays and comedy performances to its offerings. The proposal suggests the inclusion of plays from 6pm…

The council’s Planning Board is meeting on December 2 to discuss five sizable planning applications, all of which have been recommended by council officers for approval. The first application on the agenda is a proposal to upgrade and renovate some outdated sports facilities at Footscray Playing Fields which are owned by GB10 Sports Ltd. GB10 wants to completely transform the former Co-op sports ground site which only contains some unmaintained football fields and out of use tennis courts. It wants to build two 11-a-side floodlit astroturf pitches, five grass pitches of various sizes, six floodlit padel courts, a children’s play…

Much like the protagonists in Charles Dickens’ fictional satire on the English legal system, I fear something similar is happening here in SW19 – due, not to the manifest failings of our civil justice system, but the dogged intransigence of the All England Club. The AELTC is currently facing triple legal jeopardy. ● The planning permission they were eventually granted by the Mayor of London, after Labour’s Merton’s Council gave, but their colleagues in neighbouring Wandsworth withheld, consent, is once more in doubt. Earlier this month the Court of Appeal granted Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) permission to appeal an earlier…

Zoe Chan, 40, removed the original ground floor of her Hampstead property, part of a former mid-18th century stable block that was listed as being exceptional architectural and historic interest. She then installed reinforced concrete walls and flooring, permanently obscuring historic brickwork. The work, which included lining the cellar with concrete and installing modern services, removed historic features and causing irreversible harm to the historic fabric of the building. Chan was convicted of carrying out extensive unauthorised alterations to the cellar of the Grade II* listed property in Frognal without listed building consent. At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on November…

Councillor Barry Rawlings addressed the tragic incident in the Tai Po district housing complex. He said Barnet has London’s largest Hong Konger community and expressed his condolences following the blaze. Councillor Rawlings said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with our residents who are affected. “We stand in sympathy with those who have lost loved ones or who are anxiously awaiting news of family or friends caught up in the disaster.” He encouraged residents with concerns about loved ones’ whereabouts to check the Foreign Office’s website for emergency contact details in Hong Kong. The fire broke out on Wednesday (November 26)…

Havering Council said it was forced to take a resident to court after they blocked access to their home for a routine electrical and asbestos safety check. Despite a series of court hearings and orders, the tenant repeatedly failed to comply, resulting in the court ordering them to pay £4,000 in legal costs to the council. The council was first awarded a court order to secure entry in January 2024, however the resident continued to refuse access – requiring a second court order in July 2025 that permitted forced entry. READ MORE: ‘Vicious vandal’ damages four cars leaving Romford dealership…

Brati A&A Cafe has applied for a premises licence for 530 Rainham Road South, hoping to sell alcohol at the venue between 10am and 10.30pm, seven days a week. However, the application will be brought before Barking & Dagenham Council’s licensing sub-committee at a meeting next Monday (December 1) after three residents objected to it. All three raised concerns that the sale of alcohol will “escalate” issues with antisocial behaviour and drinking, which they claim is already present in the area outside the property. READ MORE: Two Dagenham roads face two-week long closures next year One resident said in their…