Author: Blake Foster

The event took place at Avanti Court Primary School in Barkingside on Friday, March 14. Holi is a Hindu festival which marks the start of spring and the fresh bloom. All pupils got out of the classroom to participate in the messy play, the school said. The festival brought the school community together in celebration (Image: Avanti Schools Trust) All pupils participated in the messy play (Image: Avanti Schools Trust) Principal Dravit Koorich said: “The Holi festival was a great success. “The children and teachers all came together to celebrate spring, bringing our community together through colour, laughter, and devotion. The event…

Havering Council are collecting residents’ views on a proposal to install a new crossing in Whitchurch Road. If the proposal goes ahead, the crossing would sit next to the Wigton Way bus stop, near 42 Whitchurch Road. In a public consultation letter, the council said the proposed crossing aims to “enhance and ensure safer crossing facilities”, particularly for “vulnerable road users such as those with mobility issues”. It added that changes will be made to the scheme based upon suggestions and comments “where feasible”, and that if any elements are not popular they “may be reconsidered if possible”. Other similar proposals for new…

The incident happened in Devizes Road near Beatrice Square just after 6.20pm yesterday (March 18). Officers and South East Ambulance Service crews attended and found a man injured. He was taken to hospital for further treatment where he remains in a stable condition. A 27-year-old man from Tadworth was arrested in connection with the incident. He remains in police custody at this time. A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: “Officers were called to Devizes Road/Beatrice Square in Tadworth at 6.22pm on Tuesday, 18 March following reports of a stabbing at the location. “South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended, and…

The ground floor units of Tollgate House, in Market Place, are set to go under the hammer on April 3, according to a Rightmove listing. Marketed by Strettons Auctions, unit 1 and 1a have a guide price of £395,000. The Rightmove listing details that unit 1 is currently used as storage by Romford Tollgate House Ltd, with an 18-month tenancy which started in November 2024. Meanwhile, unit 1a is currently let to phone repair company CRC (London) Ltd for five years from September 2021. The manager of the Romford CRC branch told the Recorder it was “not aware at all” of the auction and confirmed that…

The pedal bike, named the Pothole Pro Max, was put through its paces on Westgate Road in Beckenham – known locally for its terrible potholes – and the G-force suspension and shock absorber was able to handle it with ease. More importantly, the pizza barely moved and remained in perfect condition for a hungry customer, with temperatures set in the bike’s oven to 68C. Andrew Scanlon of Domino’s said: “As the original delivery experts, we are always on the lookout for ways to innovate and push our deliveries to the next level, and we’re super excited to be putting this…

According to the Met Office forecasts, temperatures will reach as high as 20 degrees celsius in the later half of the week.  Here are five boozers with gardens that you could visit: The Matapan The Matapan in Green Lane, previously known as The Becontree, has a fresh pub garden to offer customers after undergoing a refurbishment last year.  On June 30 the pub was temporarily closed whilst work got underway, reopening on July 18.  The Matapan underwent work to both inside and outside (Image: Pictures55) The pub’s external grounds offer outdoor seating on round benches on a patio area.  The Cherry Tree…

Police launched a murder investigation after Junior George Nelson’s remains were found in undergrowth near railway lines at the back of Rabournmead Drive in Northolt on March 14, 2016. Junior was first reported missing after being last seen at his home address in Aldershot Road, Kilburn, on August 15, 2015. Officers believe that he remained in the Brent area until that evening before he travelled towards Wembley. Mobile phone analysis showed he was at Stonebridge Park at around 10pm that evening, however his phone has never been recovered. Police believe that prior to his disappearance, he was being taken advantage…

Harrow Council has approved plans by developer Dandi Living to redevelop the site near Harrow and Wealdstone Station, demolishing the empty building to make way for 223 co-living units – in which occupants typically have their own bedrooms and bathrooms but share kitchen and living areas. When the council’s planning committee met to debate the plans on March 12, a resident of nearby Goodstone Court raised “serious concerns” about loss of sunlight, loss of privacy and the impact on local public transport. They said: “If this new tower block is built that will block the sunlight, it will cause a…

The mercury will hit 20 degrees in Romford on Thursday – a sign that spring weather and longer evenings are heading our way. If you need an excuse to head to your local after work, we have rounded up five Romford and Hornchurch pubs that have rave reviews for their beer gardens. Five top-rated Romford and Hornchurch pubs with a beer garden The Ship, Gidea Park – 4.5 stars The Ship, in Main Road, Gidea Park (Image: Google Maps) Dating back to 1762, this Grade II-listed pub not only boasts a roaring fire for the winter but also a beer garden for sunny…

The first tenants at The Filigree in Link Way only moved into the recently completed development last summer, but already face having to find a new home, at least temporarily. Landlord Get Living was initially forced to find emergency accommodation for residents after the “catastrophic failure” of the mains water supply at its energy centre, which powers three buildings at the housing complex, on February 27. This caused significant flooding in the basement, cutting water and power for some homes. Residents were told to expect to be put up in hotels until Wednesday (March 19), but have now been informed…