Author: Blake Foster

Now imagine you are in the heart of London with the city bustling past the windows. The Orangery at Tottenham Court Road is offering a unique urban “farm to table experience” thanks to the largest on-site hydroponic farm in the capital. 70% of the farm’s produce is used in the modern British dishes in the restaurant. (Image: Peter Lowbridge) Its owners are heralding this immersive restaurant as a new era of dining where hyper-local, pesticide-free, sustainable produce is served up in delicious modern British dishes. Set up in partnership with Square Mile Farms, it combines advanced hydroponic technology with vertical farming techniques to grow 35,000 plants and…

But when the man in question is Omar Shah, and the ventures are part of his eclectic stable of food outlets along Kentish Town Road, you better believe he can do it. The first of them Hoodwood is a takeaway “spin-off” of his existing Carribbean smokehouse Guanabana. When it opens at midday on Thursday (April 10) he will give away 100 portions of pie and mash – except not the kind that London is famous for. These golden-hued homemade pattie pies come with a jerk gravy and are filled with slow cooked meats cooked over an open flame with the smoky flavours of the Caribbean. Cafe Mama & Sons officially opens…

Figures taken from 2023 and 2024 have now been published by the Department for Education, shining a light on the secondary schools across England running with more pupils than their theoretical limit.  Four secondary schools in the borough have been recorded as operating beyond capacity, with some being a single pupil over and others in the triple digits.  The Campion School in Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch was found to be the secondary school with the biggest surplus.  The school offers 1,050 school places, but was found to have stretched this to accommodate an extra 146 pupils, taking it to 1,196. Hall Mead School in…

The fast-food giant has announced that it will be opening the doors to its new Strand restaurant on April 14. To celebrate the grand opening, Burger King UK will give away 1,000 free Whoppers or plant-based Whoppers to “lucky customers.” Strand location debuts with over 100 seats and high-tech kitchen belt (Image: Mike Buck / Burger King) With the capacity to host more than 100 customers, the newly designed restaurant marks Burger King UK’s first opening in the city centre for years. It is set to provide a handy spot for the capital’s tourists, commuters, and locals, thanks to its…

The programme of events, which will run from June to September, will include food festivals, carnivals, music, dance, and fashion shows. Councillor Sandra Bauer, cabinet member for equality, culture, and communities, said: “Bring the whole family along to a Royal Greenwich Festival near you. “We’re working with more organisations than ever for 2025, including some brand-new festivals. “From community fairs in our award-winning parks to floating theatre on Southmere lake, this year’s diverse range of free, accessible events will bring residents together to celebrate our borough’s unique identity. “Art and culture help our communities to thrive, boosting mental health, social…

In the early hours of August 4 last year, a Vietnamese man and woman were on a first date in Manchester City Centre when a man sprayed UV paint in their eyes to disorientate them before stabbing them both.  “At the moment I was stabbed, I had the genuine belief that I was going to die,” said the male victim.  Both victims survived the attack, which at first appeared to be completely random.  But detectives soon revealed that it was carried out by Viet Tran, 22, of Leigh Crescent in New Addington, who had been meticulously planned the trip to…

George Summerfield, who lived in Stanmore, died on March 31 surrounded by love, his daughter Jacky Summerfield said. He was born Heinz Günther Sommerfeld in Berlin in June 1933 to Margot and Frank Sommerfeld, a twin brother to Peter, who currently lives in Hendon. George and Peter were six when they escaped with their family on one of the last trains from Berlin to the UK in August 1939, thanks to the help of their non-Jewish caretaker. Twins George and Peter Summerfield with their parents Margot and Frank Sommerfeld (Image: Jacky Summerfield) On their arrival at Liverpool Street station, the Central British Fund (CBF) for German…

Kingston Council has approved plans to convert Murray House, Kingston, into homes for elderly people and adults with learning disabilities. The development will include a four-storey block containing 30 flats for elderly residents, along with a row of three bungalows. A three-storey block with 12 flats for adults with learning disabilities will also be built. The council will offer all the homes at social rent. Each home will have a private outdoor space, and each block will have a communal courtyard. A new walkway will be created between the blocks, linking Acre Road and Elm Road. Murray House shut in…

L.A-based musician Blondshell, New York quintet Been Stellar, and Cork band Cardinals will play support for the band’s biggest headline show to date. They join the previously announced special guests Amyl and the Sniffers and Belfast rappers – and all round cultural phenomenon – Kneecap for the sold out gig on July 5. Belfast rappers Kneecap play support for the Finsbury Park gig. (Image: Supplied) Harking back to the heady days of The Fleadh in Finsbury Park – which put together incredible line-ups of top Irish, folk and indie bands – the gig promises to be one of the capital’s musical highlights of…

Thousands of objections greeted Network Rail’s initial plans to revamp the station in 2023, which included building a 20-storey office block over the adjoining Grade II*-listed former Great Eastern Hotel. Following the backlash, Network Rail worked with a new developer called ACME on updated plans for the station, which is the UK’s busiest. These proposals have now been submitted to the City of London Corporation after what transport bosses described as “extensive consultation and engagement”. But a coalition of heritage groups say that the changes made to the scheme “do not answer their justified concern”. Here are three ways in which London…