Author: Blake Foster

This is part of the My Future programme, which reaches almost 27,000 Essex pupils. There are 560,000 engaging experiences designed to expose children to the world of work, with the aim of raising career aspirations. The programme is a key part of the Essex Year of Opportunity, a £1.33 million campaign by Essex County Council, set to run through 2025 and 2026. Adding to its growing success, the programme has received Skills Builder Impact Level 3 accreditation, acknowledging its effective approach in developing crucial skills. Councillor Andrew Sheldon, Essex County Council’s deputy cabinet member for education excellence, lifelong learning and…

Being at the centre of London, the Thames has been through and seen a lot, from the Romans first using it as a key port for trading, to the Vikings heading up the Thames to attack London Bridge and even James Bond speeding down the river. But while we know mostly everything that takes place above water, there’s a lot that goes on beneath the Thames that we’re clueless about.  Including what lives there. While there have been sightings of seals, seahorses, swans, mallards, otters, dolphins and even a whale in the past, there is one more species that calls…

The discovery was made at an address in Old Brompton Road, Earls Court, at 11.15am on December 10. Officers were carrying out a welfare check after receiving a call raising concerns. Inside, a woman was pronounced dead. She has yet to be identified, and efforts are underway to inform her next of kin. A crime scene remains in place on Old Brompton Road today (December 11), with the Metropolitan Police advising an increased police presence is to be expected in the surrounding area. Det Chf Insp Wayne Jolley said: “My team are conducting urgent enquiries to establish the full circumstances…

The changes will see some stations closed or partly closed for TfL to carry out essential work. So you don’t get caught out by the changes, we’ve broken down a list of all the work on the London Underground, Overground and Elizabeth Line this weekend. To get the most up-to-date stats for the Underground, you can use the TfL app or website. London Tube and Overground closures this weekend Friday, December 12 Mildmay : The 9.59pm train from Stratford to Richmond will terminate at Camden Road at 10.19pm. Additionally, the 11.17pm train from Richmond to Willesden Junction will not run. Suffragette : The 11.03pm train from Barking Riverside to…

The hunt for the owner of the winning National Lottery ticket, worth an incredible £10,633,323, has been ongoing since October. The ticket, bought in Bexley on October 4, matched all six main numbers: 6, 8, 12, 33, 49 and 59. With Christmas just around the corner, National Lottery players are being urged to check their tickets carefully. The life-changing prize could be sitting unnoticed in a wallet, drawer, or even tucked away somewhere “safe.” Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: “This is a massive win for one lucky Londoner, so we urge Lotto…

The new Caterham branch, located at 11 Croydon Road, opened its doors yesterday (December 10) following a major investment from the franchise, created in collaboration with the local community. The restaurant offers dine-in, takeaway and delivery services, and is open from 7am until 11pm daily, with seating for up to 50 diners at any one time. The new Caterham branch is located at 11 Croydon Road. (Image: Red Consultancy) The opening of the new store has created 85 new jobs in the local area, offering a mix of part-time and full-time positions. The Caterham restaurant has been built as part…

The Office for Product Safety and Standards issued an urgent warning on Thursday, December 4, for the JOYINLED Mini LED Spotlight. It told the public that live parts of this product can be accessed without the use of tools, meaning that there is a “high risk of electric shock” if touched. The public was also warned that the plug could overheat or explode under faulty conditions because the product is not fitted with a correctly rated fuse. (Image: Kennedy News and Media) The alert claims the item does not meet the Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations 2016 or the Plugs and…

Between December 3 and December 5, Havering Council made decisions on four individual planning applications for HMOs around Hornchurch. Two of the bids were deemed lawful, one was required to have planning permission and one was outright refused. On December 3 an application for a certificate of lawfulness for the existing use of 195A Ardleigh Green Road made by Paul Demetriou was dealt with, and a small HMO was deemed to require planning permission. 195A Ardleigh Green Road (Image: Google) On Google Maps, 195A Ardleigh Green Road appears to be the address of Fish and Chip shop Poseidon Fish Bar…

Panoramas of Lost London features more than 300 photographs which evoke the bustling, changing city from 1870-1945 – from lavish wealthy homes to poverty ridden slums. Hampstead Garden Suburb author and heritage expert Philip Davies has unearthed images of the shops, houses, streets and workplaces of Victorian and Edwardian London as it morphs into the modern city we know today. The view today outside 78-82 Parkhill Road, Belsize Park. (Image: Google Maps) One image taken in Belsize Park in 1920 shows workmen using a Buffalo Springfield steam roller to resurface the street outside 78-82 Parkhill Road. It’s significant because asphalt…

An application to retain the outside seating areas at the front of The Drill in Brentwood Road has been submitted by applicant Wayne Cunningham. A planning statement labels the outside spaces as Area A and Area B and said both form a “legitimate and beneficial part of the public house’s operation”. Area B has long been established as a seating area with only “minor boundary improvements made” recently, it said. The planning document labels The Drill as a “well-established” site which has “long served as a valued community facility”. It also notes that pubs were among the “hardest hit sectors”…