Author: Blake Foster

And then there’s the particular circumstance of the Windrush arrivals; British subjects, shunned and racially abused – the bottom of the pile for housing and jobs. Trinidad author Sam Selvon’s 1956 novel The Lonely Londoners offers a lyrical, contemporary chronicle of what that felt like – here sensitively adapted by Roy Williams, and beautifully directed by Ebenezer Bamgboye featuring expressionist dance-like movement. The company of The Lonely Londoners at Kiln Theatre. (Image: Steve Gregson) The treatment suits this plotless story about the desires and emotions of a group of men ‘liming’, looking for work, catching pigeons in the park, and sleeping with prostitutes to assuage their loneliness. On a bare…

Just a 40-minute drive from south east London is the quaint town of Aylesford in Kent on the River Medway. With just over 60 houses, this picturesque village is worth a visit whether you are planning a trip to some of Kent’s villages, or are just seeking a quiet day away from London. With just over 60 houses, this picturesque village is worth a visit. (Image: John K Thorne / Flickr) One of its most recognised and photographed locations is the 14th-century bridge that runs over the River Medway. First built in the 1300s, this Grade I listed bridge with…

Police were called to reports of an assault in Ilford Lane on Thursday (June 16) at around 2.10pm. Two men were taken to hospital after they were found injured, but their injuries are not life-changing. One of the two men has since been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. A video shared on social media shows a fight involving three men, one of whom was holding what appears to be a large pole. One of the men was holding a dumbbell in his hand to fight back the others, while another went into a car to grab another dumbbell…

The horrifying incident happened when the 14-year-old boy was with an adult waiting for an MOT to take place at New Auto Tech Limited, in Alroy Road, Finsbury Park, on May 4, 2022. The teenager was sitting on a chair in an operational area in front of the brake rollers, not a “designated” viewing box. As the MOT technician attempted to move the car in reverse, the vehicle was driven forwards off the brake rollers, crushing the boy against the wall. The teenager required immediate hospital treatment, having sustained multiple pelvis fractures. He was bedbound for three months and off school for more than a year.…

The Waterloo Estate project was halted in 2023 and Havering Council now estimates it will resume in “five to seven years’ time”, according to a report published this week. In the meantime, the authority plans to erect 18 modular homes on the site in a bid to reduce pressure on its housing sector, which has become a significant financial drain. Each unit will cost £200,000 – at a total cost of £3.6million – though they can be relocated up to five times, the report says. They can also be stacked up to three storeys’ high. Further breakdowns of the cost…

Rita Simons, who plays Roxy Mitchell on the popular BBC soap opera, shared a snap of her donning an engagement ring alongside her fiance Ben Harlow. In the post, she wrote: “… so this happened!” Fans share excitement as EastEnders legend announces engagement Friends and followers of the EastEnders actress were quick to share their excitement. Blue singer Duncan James said: “Love u so much! Congrats to the both of u! Jadore!!” And TV presenter Lisa Snowdon wrote: “Ahhhh congratulations” and included a heart emoji. Recommended Reading:  One fan of the BBC star wrote: “Awww! Many congratulations to you both xx.” Former Hollyoaks…

It follows reports of an incident in King Street at 2.02pm on December 16.  Officers from the Metropolitan Police were dispatched to the scene where a man was found suffering serious injuries to his hand.  It is believed that the victim was approached by a man who assaulted him with a machete after getting out of a grey Fiat Abarth.  The victim was taken to hospital and has since been released.  Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or post @MetCC referencing CAD 3874/16December (Image: Metropolitan Police) READ MORE: Charges made in connection with death of Paralympian at…

Council leader Cllr Paul Osborn said he was “very disappointed” after learning of a five-year-old girl who was accused of fly-tipping and issued with a £1,000 fine. Harrow Council’s new enforcement team ACPOA sent a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) to the young girl’s home in November, claiming that she was “witnessed by a uniformed officer… committing the offence of fly-tipping”. It later transpired that parcel packaging with her name on was found in a street away from her home address, and she was not seen doing anything deliberate. The girl’s father was left “seriously concerned” about the potential financial impact…

Jeremy Isaacs CBE, honorary life chair of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, was knighted for services to philanthropy and to children’s hospice care. In 2015, he had been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to the NHS. The hospice, based in Byng Road, Barnet accepts referrals of babies, children and young people who live in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington and Hertsmere. Sir Jeremy has been instrumental in its growth since he joined the charity in 2009 as trustee, going on to serve as chair of trustees from 2017 until stepping down in…

She spent her early years growing up in Barnet “in confusion and sense of alienation”— placed in the care system at four years old and being moved from home to home. The woman — identified as ‘Jaclyn’ — remembers being subjected to sexual abuse one summer by a school caretaker who she says promised to take care of her, after her mother died at 26 from tuberculosis and her father had left the country. “I was left on my school steps waiting for somebody to collect me for the summer holidays,” she recalls. “The caretaker said I could stay with him…