Author: Blake Foster

Wandsworth Council has announced that 500 discounted tickets will be available for Secret Cinema’s Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, taking place in Battersea Park from August 1 to September 7, 2025. The tickets, priced at just £3 each, are available to Access for All cardholders. Kemi Akinola, deputy council leader, said: “So that everyone can enjoy their Summer Nights, Wandsworth council has partnered with Secret Cinema bringing Access for All to the production of Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical. “This is the one that you want, so don’t miss out on this immersive experience.” Access for All is a Wandsworth…

The Twist Museum, best known for what it calls ‘mind-bending attractions,’ announced on Friday, July 19, that it will host a new festival designed to offer people a break from traditional museum experiences. Promising a blend of fun and learning, this summer extravaganza plans to keep Londoners and visitors entertained throughout the school holidays with a range of workshops, installations, and themed weeks, promising a summer of “illusions, imagination, and after-hours adventure.” Twilight Thursdays offer adults after-hours fun with themed drinks and entertainment (Image: MATTHEW ALAND) The Curious Minds Festival will run until August 31 at the Oxford Street museum,…

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled the blaze in Uplands Road at around 4.30am yesterday (July 31).  Part of a first-floor flat was damaged by the fire. The woman was taken to hospital, however, she later died in hospital. The fire was under control just before 5.40am. Firefighters from Hornsey, Holloway and Tottenham fire stations attended the scene.   The cause of the fire is not thought to be suspicious. A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police said: “Police were alerted at 4.50am on Thursday, 31 July to reports of a fire at an address on Uplands Road, Hornsey. “A woman…

Hainault Forest has advised visitors to “remain vigilant” after it was alerted to “a large number” of hornets gathering by the play ropes.  The UK is home to one native species of hornet, the European hornet. This species has a distinctive coloured head that appears yellow from the front and red from above.  The insects have a largely pale yellow abdomen with black stripes, with dark legs that resemble a black or reddish brown colour.  The species of the hornets spotted in Hainault Forest has not yet been confirmed. READ MORE: Chigwell pub reopens doors after ‘glamorous’ refurbishment Hainault Forest wrote on…

This includes only the incidents known to reporters working across Newsquest’s east London titles. The incidents all occurred in the last seven days from July 25 to August 1 with three of these in Newham. Details in each case are provided by the Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service. A 14-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after being stabbed in Newham on Saturday (July 26). He was in hospital in a critical condition with stab wounds according to the latest update. Five teenagers from Newham, aged between 14 and 17, have been arrested and four of the five have been…

Antonis Antoniadis, 26, was targeted after he left 32 Portland Place nightclub in Marylebone. Following an Old Bailey trial, Shian Johnson, 26, Sofian Alliche, 20, his brother Amin Alliche, 18, Joshua McCorquodale, 20, and Alfie Hipple, 18, all from Camden, were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to rob.Alfie Hipple (Image: Met Police) The defendants were taken down from the dock after one of them reacted with an angry outburst, accusing the jury of “ruining” his life. The jury had deliberated for more than 14 hours to reach its unanimous verdicts, with one of them leaving court in tears. Judge…

Figures were released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday (July 31) and show that four of the six east London boroughs share the most popular boys and girls name. The data was compiled using the “area of usual residence” of the mother of the baby. Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest each registered Muhammad and Amelia as the most common names for babies last year. Amelia was the joint most chosen girls name in Waltham Forest with Sophia. According to the data, 152 babies were named Muhammad in Newham, 107 in Redbridge, 83 in Waltham Forest and 29 in…

The King William IV, in High Road, opened its doors to visitors this week after an extensive facelift. It is said to offer a ‘premium dining experience’ (Image: King William IV) The revamped venue, which is able to accommodate 80 people in its outdoor area, now delivers a “premium dining and social experience” for guests. The project has given the pub a “glamorous new look” with a “sophisticated atmosphere”. Pouring drinks at the refurbished pub (Image: King William IV) General manager, Dai Mayston King, said: “Since reopening our doors, we’ve had so many positive comments about our new look, and our guests…

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that learners are facing delays of up to 24 weeks in taking their practical tests at the Hornchurch Driving Test Centre, the borough’s only centre.  The test facility in Station Lane is one of 258 locations across the country to have reached the maximum wait time, as of May 5. Learner drivers are also facing long delays at other nearby centres in east London, including Goodmayes and Barking. READ MORE: Which GP in Havering had the most patients waiting more than 28 days to see a doctor? Essex test centres Basildon and Brentwood have wait…

National Highways has announced that essential surface works will be carried out on the route, which is a crucial freight and commuter link between the south east and the rest of the country. The closures will be in place from Friday, August 1 to Monday, August 4. The crossing, used by over 150,000 vehicles each day, is one of the UK’s busiest road routes and a vital freight and commuter link between the southeast and the rest of the country. National Highways said diversions will be clearly signposted via their network and local roads. Here’s the full schedule of weekend…