Author: Blake Foster

Councillor Jit Ranabhat, who is also the ward councillor for Plumstead and Glyndon, cut the ribbon on March 17 to mark the grand opening of the Brewery Road Post Office at its new location. The post office has moved to a fully refurbished empty shop at 7 Brewery Road, Plumstead, SE18 7PS. The revamped shop offers longer hours, postal services, and convenience items (Image: Post Office) The shop now serves as a post office and convenience store, selling stationery, cards, confectionery, soft drinks, and off-licence items. It also offers photocopying and printing services. The new postmaster, Nirpesh Maharjan, is no…

Essex County Council is set to sell the 88-acre site at Rainham Lodge Farm in Upminster to major house builder Taylor Wimpey. The council’s plans to sell the land comes four years after it evicted the family that had been farming there for more than a century. The county council has said the sale of the freehold will allow for future development and investment of the site, subject to the grant of planning permission. It adds: “This decision proposes that we maximise the potential for income from land which Essex County Council owns to create a capital receipt for reinvestment…

The Grape and Grain, in Anerley Hill, Crystal Palace, closed in November 2017 and was up for sale for the second time. In May 2019, Bromley Council approved a planning application to extend the building, including two storeys on top of the existing pub, a three-storey addition on the Church Road side, and a roof garden. However, all development projects were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. On August 11, 2023, Wetherspoons confirmed it was no longer looking to develop the pub and put the site up for sale. On April 9, 2024, the chain decided not to…

The Metropolitan Police were first called to concerns for a man’s welfare in Colindale Avenue on Tuesday (March 18) at 1.45pm. Officers were engaging with the man, and he then fell from a height outside of the station onto the railway line. British Transport Police (BTP) officers discovered when arriving that the incident developed and the concern for welfare near the station became a casualty on the tracks. The BTP have now taken over the case to investigate into the matter. Police outside Colindale station (Image: Wesley Goettems) The Northern line was part suspended between Golders Green and Edgware due…

Fereshta Najib from Grey Court School was crowned champion of the regional final of Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out Challenge.” This achievement came after her powerful speech titled, “I am an Afghan Girl…who are you?” was met with praise from judges at Waldegrave School on March 13, 2025. The speech urged the audience to take action and raise awareness against the oppression of Afghan women and girls, emphasising the need to speak for the silenced. The annual event, organised by Speakers Trust and supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation, saw more than 30,000 Year 10 students aged 14-15 from over 500…

A lawyer representing relatives of Giedrius Vasiljevas raised concerns in court on Monday (March 17) that if delays persisted with the disclosure of evidence, the inquest might have to be adjourned. It is currently listed in October, but Maya Sikand KC said the family had also still not received body-worn camera footage of the shooting, or an investigation report by the police watchdog. “Unfortunately, we literally have nothing other than the 100-page medical report,” she said, adding that she was becoming “anxious” as to whether the current inquest date could be met. Mr Vasiljevas, 40, from Lithuania, was killed by police at…

Film crew from production company Raw Cut Television, part of Zinc Media Group, visited Romford on March 7 as part of a new documentary with the working title Hunting the Shoplifters. Set to air on Channel 5 in early May, according to the Romford Business Improvement District (BID), the show will examine the rise in retail crime, and what various towns across the country are doing to combat this. Romford BID director Julie Frost speaks in front of camera (Image: Romford BID) For Romford, this meant following the work of Chris Levy and Khan Hunter – part of the town’s My Local…

The incident happened at the station in Charcot Road just after 1.50pm today (March 18). An ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer from London Ambulance Service attended. READ ALSO: The man was pronounced dead shortly after.  The Northern line is part suspended between Golders Green and Edgware as the incident is being deal with. Minor delays are also being reported between Camden Town and Golders Green.  Police have since responded and shared more information in an update. A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 1.53pm today (18 March)…

Harrington’s Eel and Pie House on 3 Selkirk Road will close permanently on Saturday, March 29, 2025, after 116 years of serving generations of loyal customers. In a statement on social media, the Harrington family said: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce our last working day will be Saturday, March 29, 2025, from 11am to 5pm. We know this will be a sad moment for many of you.” They also requested that customers placing large orders do so in advance. They added: “To help us serve you quickly and efficiently, we kindly ask that customers wishing to…

The Mayor of Bexley, Councillor Sue Gower, and the Crayford Arrows football team joined the festivities at Specsavers Crayford, located in Sainsbury’s on Stadium Way. The store has had a busy year, with a new director joining the team and another director completing career-expanding training. Crayford Arrows, who have played a significant role in the growth of women’s football, were presented with a signed England women’s shirt in appreciation of their efforts. Specsavers Crayford and Swanley continue expanding community services (Image: Specsavers Crayford) Atef Ebrhimgeel, who joined the team in 2024 as the retail director for the Crayford and Swanley…