Author: Blake Foster

Johannes Vermeer’s The Guitar Player is one of the best known artworks at the Hampstead mansion – but could the Dutch master have made his own copy of it? That’s the question asked by scholars as they studied a version of the painting at The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Catalogued in the museum’s collection as a ‘Copy after Vermeer,’ it has been suggested that the painting could have been made by the artist himself, while others claim an unknown artist made a close copy of the original. Now visitors to Kenwood will have the chance to compare the two images as they hang side by side in the dining room lobby.…

Care UK’s Buchanan Court, situated on Sudbury Hill, will celebrate the opening of its upgraded eatery on Friday, August 29, between 2.30pm and 3.30pm. The café is intended as a social hub for the community and hosts monthly dementia café events to share advice among carers, families, and those living with the syndrome. Mayor of Harrow Councillor Anjana Patel will officially open the café. Guests will be treated to refreshments prepared by head chef Andrei Zaharia, and a performance by violinist Maria Valez. Laurentiu Iordachescu, home manager at Buchanan Court, said: “We are delighted to be marking the official opening of our…

And this Leytonstone taco joint has some of the biggest flavours I can imagine are possible in such a small dish. It is an informal place, with colourful graffiti covering the walls, open ducting and chatty waiters. It was definitely not a fine dining setting and you could be mistaken for thinking it was a nice fast-food place – but we definitely did not rush here. Homies on Donkeys started in a stall in Walthamstow’s Wood Street Market, where founders Erik ‘Smokey’ Bautista and Sandra Bello served just a few dishes from a tiny space.Starters of tortillas with guacamole and refried…

Cheryl Fergison, who played the role of Heather Trott on the BBC soap opera, faced the medical emergency in May. EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison opens up about stroke Remembering the ordeal, the 59-year-old said: “I went to bed but couldn’t settle. “When I got up in the night to go to the bathroom, my balance completely went and I had to stop myself from falling over. My whole right side felt numb, heavy and tingly.” Speaking with the Mirror, she added: “You lose the ability to coordinate your hands, to walk properly, your balance is gone. “It’s frustrating and makes you angry. But I’ve started to…

The region of Pembrokeshire in Wales offers plenty to do for families looking for a UK staycation, from its many castles to its popular beaches, and boat trips to scope out seals, dolphins and puffins on Skomer Island. We visited the coastal town of Milford Haven – a harbour town with historic links to fishing with a regenerated marina, floating hotels and links to Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. The area offers visitors a community feel with plenty of places to eat and drink, as well as being hugely dog-friendly for holidaymakers looking for a location to bring their dogs. Milford Haven…

26 households in Sapphire Court were told they needed to leave after an inspection by structural engineers on August 20. Sapphire Court is part of the Stratford Halo development, which includes a skyscraper block of flats famous for reportedly housing well-known Youtubers, including KSI. After the defects were found, people were moved into temporary accommodation by the building’s owner, Notting Hill Genesis (NHG). NHG says it is in touch with residents and trying to find them long-term housing. Meanwhile, it adds that residents in the wider Stratford Halo development are unaffected, including the other 104 households in Sapphire Court. A spokesperson…

A planning application relating to 36 Upminster Road South was submitted to Havering Council last month, seeking permission for the change of use of the site.  The retail space, though now vacant, is understood to have most recently been occupied by Village Blooms.  Billie Hanmore was one of the florists who worked at Village Blooms, and has revealed to this paper that the business moved premises last year.  Billie said: “It is a shame because for such a long time it was the flower shop, so it is a shame but it sort of is what it is I suppose”.  She…

The council was one of the first in the country to halt the procedure until the risks to patients were properly controlled, following complaints from people who experienced complications. The new scheme aims to set national standards in the aesthetics industry and improve public safety. Cllr Paul Keska, Epping Forest District Council’s cabinet member for regulatory, technical and community safety services, said: “I am proud that our council’s environmental health team was at the forefront of clamping down on these risky procedures in our district. “It is good to see that the government is taking concerns even further by introducing…

The restaurateur, who runs Asian dining spots in Notting Hill, Chelsea and Marylebone, spent his early years in Highgate attending the village primary school in North Hill. He now lives in Maida Vale with partner Adam Wilkie and they are “really excited” to be opening Huo in Belsize Lane in early September. “I was born in the Whittington and grew up in Highgate until I was 13 and have fond memories of riding my bike up and down,” he says. HUO is located in Belsize Lane in what was originally a Victorian pub but has been both a pan Asian and…

Police were called around 4.30am today (August 23) to Hertsmere Road. Officers arrived with the London Ambulance Service and a woman in her 20s was taken to hospital. She is now being supported by specialist officers. There have been no arrests but an investigation is underway. Officers are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch. A Met Police spokesperson said: “We are investigating an alleged rape which took place on Hertsmere Road, Canary Wharf. “Officers were called at 04:25hrs on Saturday, 23 August and attended alongside the London Ambulance Service.  “A woman in her 20s was taken to…