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Transition Town - Kensal to Kilburn

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:46:49 +0100

Transition Kensal to Kilburn, is a well established eco-minded community group and part of the wider Transition Network which started in Totnes, Devon. TTKtoK covers Kensal Green, Kensal Rise, Queens Park and Kilburn, and its aim is to encourage greater involvement in the promoting a greener local community.

The group is part of the Transition network which has groups all over the world, and take all sorts of forms; from towns in Australia, neighbourhoods in Portugal, cities in Brazil and rural communities in Slovenia. These communities have started up projects in areas of food, transport, energy, education, housing, waste, arts etc. as small-scale local responses to the global challenges of climate change, economic hardship and shrinking supplies of cheap energy.

For Kensal to Kilburn members, the sometimes daunting task as an individual of tackling dwindling fossil fuel supplies and global warming translates into community events which take place throughout the year;

Free Video Workshop At 5pm every Tuesdays in Kilburn until June, this event is for those that want to learn how to make professional videos to promote the transition town way of life to a larger audience.

Seedling and Seed Swap A free event in front of the Cafe in Queens Park. Bring a bag to take home stuff and bring any unwanted seedlings / seeds along to swap and share.

Kilburn Jubilee Station Allotment Join in planting and weeding of the allotment halfway along Kilburns Jubilee Line station on May 6, 2012 from 11am to 12:30pm.

There are also groups organising local bee keeping, vegetable boxes, and fruit pickers who will pick fruit in back gardens which might be left to rot on the ground. Fruit is distributed to local schools, juiced or just eaten. For more information on how to get involved follow the link for Kensal to Kilburn

Queens Park Area Residents Association

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:21:56 +0100

The Queens Park Area Residents Association or QPARA was set up over 40 years ago by local residents in the Queens Park area as an entirely voluntary organisation keen to preserve the integrity of the conservation area. They are organising a number of events over the summer.

Queens Park Book Festival

The second Queens Park Book Festival will take place on May 19th and 20th, 2012. Authors appearing include Alex Bellos, Melissa Benn, Edwyn Collins, Simon Day, Maggie Gee, Linda Grant, Henrietta Green, Natalie Haynes, Owen Jones,John Lanchester, Marina Lewycka, Sophie McKenzie, Robert Muchamore, Kerstin Rodgers, Karen Rydings, Alexandra Shulman, Kate Summerscale and more.

There will also be an even wider range of childrens activities than last year, many in a special Bookbugs tent. Also free creative activities for all ages.

Queens Park Gardens and Studios Day

Queens Park Gardens and Studios Day is coming up on Sunday 17th June. There are large, small, modern and traditional gardens where you will find lots of inspiration for your very own garden or terrace.

Queens Park Day

Queens Park Day is a large, popular, free community event held in Queens Park this year on 16th September. There are arena events, music on the bandstand, fancy dress and other competitions and stalls. It has been organised annually by the Queens Park Area Residents Association for over 20 years.

Follow the link for the website of Queens Park Area Residents Association

2012 Olympics: North West London Road Closures

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:55:08 +0100

Plan your travel and avoid the traffic jams during the London 2012 Olympics - with millions of extra people coming to London for the Games, the capital's roads will face additional pressure. There will be a number of road closures in place in North West London to ensure the smooth running of the Games and significant disruption is expected.

The following road closures in North West London will be in effect from the final week of July to the middle of August. There will also be minor road closures during the Paralympic Games in September.

Hanger Lane and the North Circular Road between Hangar Lane and Great Central Way will be part of the Olympic Route Network and will have significantly more traffic during the Games. Lanes may be closed at times if necessary.

The A40 Western Avenue will contain a Games Lane, which will be closed to non Games traffic from 6am-11pm, both directions from Hanger Lane into Central London.

A lane will be closed eastbound on the A40 Western Avenue leading to Hanger Lane to help reduce congestion going to Wembley.

Great Central Way, South Way and First Way will have Olympic Lanes during days when there are events at Wembley, closed to non-Games traffic from 7am-midnight.

No left turn from Great Central Way into Hannah Close.

Best Estate and Letting Agents in London?

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:12:55 +0000

The Paramount office in West End Lane, West Hampstead is currently ranked the best estate agency branch in both London and the UK according to rankings on estate agency review website AllAgents. Paramount Properties is also ranked as the third best estate agency in the UK out of over 8,300 other participating property companies

Allagents is a directory of UK estate agents, letting agents, property management and estate management companies that displays customer submitted reviews, testimonials and complaints. They have introduced their own best practice benchmark scheme to encourage property companies to become more open and transparent with their customer experiences.

The scheme has already attracted quite a response and AllAgents think that before long this standard will provide a benchmark for professional property companies that will help landlords and tenants to evaluate their services. It is hoped that the scheme will go some way to eradicate rogue companies and individuals form the property business by exposing those who are not readily open or offer poor levels of customer service.

''Not all estate agents work in the same way. Landlords and vendors need to appoint an agent that is honest, assertive, and one that best understands both their individual needs and the local market conditions,'' said Spencer Lawrence, the lettings director of Paramount Properties, estate and letting agents based in West End Lane, West Hampstead.

''We have chosen to actively promote the views of our customers and we now link directly from our website to the All Agents website. We are committed to publishing all of our customer feedback online and have been awarded a best practice transparency profile by AllAgents. We are pleasantly surprised by the results on the All Agents site. Paramount is currently ranked the best estate agency branch in both London and the UK and Paramount Properties is ranked as the third best estate agency in the UK out of over 8,000 other participating estate and letting agents.''

''At Paramount, we try to provide exceptional customer service through a team of experienced, knowledgeable and passionate staff. We build close relationships with our buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords. We use cutting edge marketing to generate diverse applicant pools across the portfolio. We draw on technical innovations and embrace positive change within the industry and involve external experts to ensure we maintain the highest standards at all times,'' he continued.

Follow the link more reviews of the best estate and letting agents in London and the rest of the UK

Fix My Street Please!

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:18:58 +0000

Have you ever wanted to report a problem in your area but don't know who to contact? Have you spent ages on the phone trying to speak to someone at your local council? If so, this website is for you.

The charity mysociety.org in conjunction with Young Foundation launched fixmystreet.com in 2007 and provides residents with a quick and easy way of reporting things in their area that are broken, dirty, damaged, dumped, needs fixing, cleaning or clearing.

To use the site, all you just need to enter your postcode or location, and then you can view problems already reported in your area, or report your own by clicking your location on the map provided.

All reported problem will be sent to the relevant council by email. The council can then resolve the problem through their normal procedure. Local residents are also able to discuss the problem with others on the website by providing an update.

Please visit the website for further information, to sign up for alerts or to start reporting your problems.

Popdance classes to be held at Swiss Cottage Community Center

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:15:02 +0100

Swiss cottage Community Centre hosts 'Popdance', a great dance class specially designed for adults on Monday's at 11am. The class was created to combine a fun filled dance class where adults of all ages and abilities can learn dance routines to pop music, allowing you to let loose from the stresses of life and have some fun. Popdance classes are held all over the country and are launching in our very own Swiss Cottage on 3rd November.

They offer a pressure free, relaxed and friendly environment where you can hone in on your skills. The routines are all tought over 4 sessions to allow everyone in the class learn at their own pace. They often hold one off events such as 'Baby Loves Disco' - an afternoon for the boogying babies and toddlers to have their fun!

The first 'taster class' is free of charge. There are popdance classes all over the UK waiting to get you boogying to the latest pop tunes! And just in time to get you ready for that all important Christmas party...

Go green Camden increasing number of green roofs by 2012

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 13:31:06 +0100

NW6 is set to be a part of Mayor Boris Johnson's Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. We are joined by other London Borough's including the majority of Westminster and the inner parts of Camden, Southwark and Kensington and Chelsea - all of which have been required to build a new green roof. This does not only support the worlds 'go green' campaign but may also reduce fuel bills by providing effective heat insulation on the roof and possibility minimising sound.

There has already been two of these new roofs installed at the Webheath estate in Hampstead in 2009 and more in line to join Boris's Strategy. The London Borough of Camden has endeavored to substantially increase the existing number by 2012.

South Hampstead's current contribution to this scheme is already in progress on Rowley Lane. Many other similar schemes are already in early stages through out the borough.

Camden's 'Environmental Sustainability Delivery Plan' which commits to protect the environment and develop a more sustainable future for the borough. They promise to strive to help residents and businesses alike do what they can to reduce environmentally harmful actions and contribute to the scheme.

These steps do not only just support the worlds 'go green' campaign and the 'World Green Roof Congress' but may also reduce fuel bills by providing effective heat insulation on the roof and possibility minimising sound. The new roofs can also act as a coolant in the hot weather possibly making air-conditioning bills lower.

Belsize Park opens the doors to its new Post Office!

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:31:30 +0100

After six years of campaigning...A new Post Office has opened in Belsize Park! The champagne was flowing as Locals celebrated the opening.

After the closure of Haverstock Hill, Belsize Village and Englands Lane Post Offices, the accessibility of a nearby Post Office has effected many residents. Locals are being encouraged to show their support as it is only open for a trial period and Camden Council has funded the start up costs for the of around £7,200.

Residents are confident that there is, and will continue to be, a sufficient demand for service and that the Post Office will be a huge success. The late night counter service "Essentials" is open from 7am until 11pm in Budgens Supermarket on Haverstock Hill. Customers will be able to access a range of different services including travel services, government services, bill payments, banking and mailing.

West Hampstead Thameslink Station is being given a make over!

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:41:05 +0100

Preparatory work has started in building a new West Hampstead Thameslink station and revival of the surrounding area, in a project which is part of Camden Councils "Place Shaping Strategy". The strategy involves making significant improvements in order to make West Hampstead a more pleasant and enjoyable place to live, work and visit. The building of a new station and associated improvements are funded jointly by the council and Network Rail as part of its £5.5bn Thameslink program, the aim of which is to massively increase the capacity of passengers on north-south services through London, and to improve the interchanges within the West Hampstead Underground and Overground stations and ease congestion across routes.

Network Rail say that after improvements the station will be a brighter and safer place, more equipped to handle the extra passengers. The station itself will be built with a "living roof" living as it will be planted with flowering sedum plants, making the view from surrounding offices and residential premises attractive and visually appealing.

On Iverson Road the pedestrian crossing will be improved to make it easier for people to cross the street, and the pavements are being widened for safety and extra space for pedestrians. The space along the footpaths will be landscaped into a tree-lined walkway, as well as new cycle racks which will be incorporated making the area more pleasant and in keeping with the new "green" station.

More passengers are expected to travel in the Thameslink as new longer trains are introduced in 2015, changing them from 8 carriages to 12. A new foot bridge will be installed in preperation, allowing easier access to all platforms. The platforms at the Thameslink station are being extended and should complete by the end of 2010, beginning of 2011.

Will retail giant Sainsburys take the place of the closed down mini market on West End Lane?

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:27:35 +0100

This is a question which has become significant in the last few weeks, and a lot of people would like to know the answer too. There has recently been an application for a licence made by Sainsbury's to Camden Council, which, if it is successful, will mean that they could open a store at 204 West End Lane, West Hampstead, in the place of closed down store "best-one".

To many who live in West Hampstead, the mini market "Best-One" which was open 24 hours was an iconic feature of quirky West Hampstead. It made up part of the character of West End Lane, as well as the other many independent shops. However although people may enjoy this ideal, the reality is that in recent years many more people have chosen to shop in a chain store, over shopping in a franchise independent store.

Some shop owners down West End Lane report that sales have gone down by as much as 50% since Tesco's opened, and are worried that if a Sainsbury's opens there then they may end up closing due to the competition from both stores. The decision has not yet been made, and we are looking forward to finding out what the store will become.

Willesden Green has their very own homework club!

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:08:01 +0100

We all know how important it is for children to learn at least the basic English and Maths skills at a young age, for their development, and to enable them to prosper in these areas in adult life. "Teachus Homework Club" in Willesden, aims to provide essential extra supplement for English and Maths for children who are being educated in Key stage 1, 2 and 3. Homework clubs have been proven to show an improvement to children's grades at school, as they can provide the extra help they may require out of school hours.

The teachers who run the homework club are all from exceptional teaching backgrounds and are all graduates from the top-ten universities across the UK. The teachers aim to focus on educating children at their own ability level, and to give them extra exam practice, ensuring students are tested every 8-10 weeks so that teachers are able to track their progress. The cost per hour for tuition is only £4, and this is paid at the beginning of each lesson. "Teachus Homework Club" takes place every Monday and Thursday throughout the year, in term time only, at The Willesden Green Library Centre, 95 High Road, Willesden.

Ballet takes on Queens Park

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:33:02 +0100

From the 15th September to the 8th December 2010 there will be 12x 1 hour Ballet lessons taking place on a Wednesday evening. This is great for adults and who are interested in starting ballet up to intermediate level skills in ballet.

The 6.30-7.30pm session is only for adults who have either no experience or little experience in Ballet and wish to start anew. The 7.30-8.30pm is for adults who have already completed their level 1 and are ready to move on away from the basics of Ballet. Towards the end of the course a short choreographed dance is worked on learning how to dance together as a group.

Stage terminologies are also practiced towards the end of each course. The lessons will take place upstairs, at The Corrib Rest, 76-80 Salusbury Rd, Queens Park, London, NW6 6PA.