Author: Blake Foster

The Brondes Age in Kilburn High Road, near Brondesbury station, has put forward an application to Camden Council to extend its alcohol licence. Currently, the pub is open from 11am to 1am on Mondays to Thursdays, then 11am to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11am to 12.30am on Sundays. Alcohol can be sold until closing for each day, except on Sundays when alcohol must stop selling at 11.59pm. In the new application, it is proposed that alcohol can instead be sold until 3am on Fridays and Saturday. The pub is also hoping to have live and recorded music on Friday…

Officers were called to a property in Dunlop Close following reports of concern for a person on July 5. South East Coast Ambulance crews also attended, and a man in his 60s was found at the property. An investigation was launched and enquiries led detectives to believe the death was suspicious and they made an arrest on July 17.  On July 19, Dorin Ciorba, 29, of Longbridge Road in Barking, was charged with murder. He was also charged with robbery. He was remanded to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court later that day. This is a breaking news story. More to follow.   …

Officers were called to a property in Dunlop Close following reports of concern for a person on July 5. South East Coast Ambulance crews also attended, and a man in his 60s was found at the property. An investigation was launched and enquiries led detectives to believe the death was suspicious and they made an arrest on July 17.  On July 19, Dorin Ciorba, 29, of Longbridge Road in Barking, was charged with murder. He was also charged with robbery. He was remanded to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court later that day. This is a breaking news story. More to follow. …

Rambi, a large green Alexandrine parakeet, took off one day after his cage was left open during a family barbecue – having never even left home before. The seven-year-old’s family launched an extensive search for him around the Islington area, but were unable to find Rambi despite several false alarms. However, weeks on from his sudden disappearance, owner Yianoulla Evangelou received a call from animal charity Wildlife in Need on the south coast, near Bournemouth, saying they’d found a parakeet that looks similar to theirs. Rambi the large green Alexandrine parakeet (Image: Yianoulla Evangelou / SWNS) But the charity still…

Plugged In, held in partnership with Riverside Radio, will take place on Saturday, August 9. The outdoor event, running from 1pm to 7pm, will be set in Power Station Park, showcasing six local acts from Wandsworth. The artists, ranging from emerging solo performers to bands, promise a diverse day of music with the power station as a backdrop. All acts have previously featured on Riverside Radio’s Track of the Week, a platform highlighting top local talent. Each week, a new musician, band, or singer-songwriter from south-west London is given exposure by the radio station. Plugged In not only celebrates the…

Tropical Café, located at 115 West Street is now being marketed through Nationwide Businesses due to the owner’s ill health. Tropical Café currently remains open and trading whilst the search for someone to take over is ongoing. The double-fronted premises span approximately 410 square feet and include indoor seating for 28 customers, as well as a private rear garden space with additional seating for 25. The café also boasts a 5-star hygiene rating and a simple, functional layout that includes a tiled floor, suspended ceiling, and CCTV system. A fully fitted kitchen sits behind the main service area, equipped with…

Deborah Mason, of Crayford Road, Tufnell Park, was sentenced along with seven other members of the gang to a total of 106 and a half years at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday (July 18), for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months. A group of couriers collected packages of imported cocaine and drove them all over London, as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, between April and November 2023. Deborah Mason, also known as ‘gangster granny’ (Image: Met Police) The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of between £23 million to £35 million and…

The events, organised by Brentwood Borough Council and Brentwood Connected Business Improvement District (BID), will take place throughout August. This year, they will also include activities in High Street for the first time. Free activities will be on offer in August (Image: Brentwood Connected) They will begin on Friday, August 1, at Warley Playing Fields, where children under 12 can enjoy unlimited activities with a £5 wristband. The final park event will be on Friday, August 29, at Hutton Recreation Ground. Brentwood High Street will host activities on Wednesday, August 6, with another event in Hutton Road in Shenfield on…

The Blackheath Fireworks display, which last took place in 2018, will return on November 1 from 4pm until 10.30pm. In 2019, Lewisham Council pulled the plug on the fireworks due to a lack of funding. Although a community fundraiser helped revive hopes for 2020, the event was later cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the display has been called off every year, most recently due to ongoing financial pressures linked to the cost-of-living crisis. Lewisham Council confirmed on July 17 that the event will take place which will feature a “high-end” fireworks display alongside on-site entertainment and market…

It’s the first time I’ve had a place of my own — a quiet corner of London with trees, open space, and a feeling of being close to nature. I’m an artist, and I’ve always had a deep love for animals. But at the time I found the birds, I’d been in a depressive spell. I hadn’t painted in weeks, possibly longer. I’d lost that creative energy. Then, out of nowhere, something small — and loud — stopped me in my tracks. Abandoned birds on North End Road sparked unexpected journey of healing (Image: Emily Gray) I was walking along North End…