Features Archive

Poetry festival has Croydon rhyming

A poetry festival took place at Fairfield Halls in Croydon last weekend, showcasing and celebrating the power of the spoken …

by Joshua Statter/ October 16, 2019/ Arts Features, Croydon, Features, People/

Running is my therapy: mental health advocates extol virtues of exercise

“Running is my therapy, I let go of all of my worries and struggles when I run. It is my …

by Georgia Ridout/ October 15, 2019/ Features, General Features, Tower Hamlets/

Caribbean community group in Hackney lands lottery grant

A community group which supports elderly Caribbean residents in Hackney is celebrating after securing £433,382 from the National Lottery to …

by Keji Marell Ricardo/ October 9, 2019/ Hackney, Local News, News, People/

Goldsmiths’ finest- Fine Art Lecturer named 2020 Artist in Residence for the National Gallery.

A senior lecturer in the department of Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London has been named 2020 Artist in Residence …

by Astra McKenzie/ September 5, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Lead Stories, Lewisham/

On this day in history: ‘The Stoke Newington 8’ arrested

The ‘Stoke Newington 8’ arrested 1971   On 21 August 1971, Special Branch and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) raided a …

by Astra McKenzie/ August 21, 2019/ General Features, Hackney, Lead Stories, Local News/

On this day in history: First pedestrian in Britain to die after being hit by a car.

Woman becomes the first pedestrian in Britain to die after being hit by a car in 1896   The first …

by Astra McKenzie/ August 17, 2019/ Croydon, Features, Lead Stories/

On this day in history: The Battle of Lewisham

The Battle of Lewisham 1977   On 13 August 1977, the far-right group National Front (NF) attempted to march from …

by Astra McKenzie/ August 13, 2019/ Features, Lead Stories, Lewisham, Local News/

What’s on this Summer

by Astra McKenzie/ August 2, 2019/ Croydon, Features, General Features, Hackney, Lewisham, Summer, Tower Hamlets, Upcoming/

Great places to visit in your borough that you may have missed

Manor House Gardens Manor House Gardens is a family-friendly park which is situated in Lee. It is a great place …

by Astra McKenzie/ August 2, 2019/ Croydon, Features, General Features, Lead Stories, Lewisham, Local News, Summer, Tower Hamlets/

Tower Hamlets Council tackles child food poverty with thousands of free meals

Tower Hamlets Council is providing free meals for children across the borough during the school holidays. 11 holiday clubs opened …

by Astra McKenzie/ August 1, 2019/ Features, Lead Stories, Local News, Tower Hamlets/

Meet the three east London finalists for the Black British Business awards

With just one day to go until judges make their decisions on winners at The Black British Business Awards (BBBA), …

by Astra McKenzie/ July 26, 2019/ Features, Hackney, Lead Stories, People/

The artists using recycled material to craft unique jewellery

Based in Brick Lane, one of the most artistic and creative markets in London, the brand Hana + Hasmita sells …

by Melania Valeri/ July 2, 2019/ Features, Hackney, Meet The Traders/

Meet the trader: Plant based supermarket

In a quiet street in Hackney, nestled next to a Tesco, sits the only fully vegan supermarket in East London. …

by Lucia Fernanda Mesa Velez/ July 2, 2019/ Hackney, Meet The Traders/

Spitalfields local campaigns to create London’s first town council

From serving in the British army to working in publishing and public relations, David Donoghue has had a variety of …

by Tommy Ebbs/ July 2, 2019/ People, Politics, Tower Hamlets/

Slow down and smell the roses: Hither Green florists creates a haven for shoppers

Hither Green’s florist attracts locals with its beautiful bouquets, exquisite desserts and chic style – and also with its diverting …

by Ting Hu/ July 2, 2019/ Lewisham, Meet The Traders/

On the doorstep: witnessing the transformation of Brockley

This week we feature Sharon Gardner, founder of a sustainable health and wellbeing consultant Core of Life. Having lived in Brockley, …

by Tiffany Leung/ July 2, 2019/ Lewisham, On The Doorstep/

Bethnal Green Library, a Hackney housing estate and Whitechapel’s neuron pod shortlisted for architectural awards

The renovation of Bethnal Green Library and other east London building projects have been shortlisted for the New London Architecture …

by Lucia Fernanda Mesa Velez/ June 17, 2019/ Arts Features, Features, General Features/

Former gang members: Communities need to band together to stop ‘epidemic’ of youth gangs

Former gang members talked about the myth, misconception and glamorisation surrounding youth gangs in a forum held by the Metropolitan …

by Nai-Yu Chen/ June 14, 2019/ General Features/

Women’s equality, CLR James and the Russian revolution – documentary film festival comes to Lower Clapton

Hackney based education charity WORLDwrite will host a Mini Film Festival at its centre in Lower Clapton this Saturday to …

by Claudia Teng/ June 13, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Features/

BRIT School students to perform for Street Live in Croydon this summer

Students from Croydon’s renowned BRIT School will be  performing on the streets of the borough this summer as part of …

by Sarah Benhamou/ June 12, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Features, Music, Summer/

Portrait of Stormzy – and his mother – comes home to Croydon

Iconic grime artist Stormzy has his portrait exhibited at Central Croydon Library as part of the COMING HOME Initiative. The …

by Sarah Benhamou/ June 5, 2019/ Arts, Croydon, Features, Music, Summer/

Independent publishers in East London

  More independent publishers are appearing across London. East London’s independent publishing scene is buzzing. Graphic novels, poetry, memoirs, and …

by Bobbi-Lee Wright/ June 3, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Croydon, Features, Hackney, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets/

Chinese artist choses Hoxton for first UK solo show

 The New-York based Chinese artist Shen Wei is holding his first major UK exhibition at the Flowers Gallery in …

by Sarah Antoun/ June 3, 2019/ Features, Hackney/

We vote for our pockets, not our health: Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah on life as an environmental campaigner

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah arrives at the Good Hope Café in Hither Green on a scooter. She has a look of determination …

by Deniza Primbet/ May 31, 2019/ Features, General Features, Lewisham, People/

Meet the founder of Mums for Lungs

“We need people out of their cars, whether they are parents or not. People in London need to reduce driving …

by Sahira Raja/ May 31, 2019/ Environment, Features, Health, Local Hero/

Inside London’s latest zero-waste shop

Nestled in Hackney Downs Studios – the little community of artists and independent businesses between Dalston and Clapton – Re: …

by Sarah Antoun/ May 31, 2019/ Environment, Features, Hackney, People, Reviews/

Housing Crisis in 2019 – Is anyone better off yet?

London has been in the grips of a housing crisis since the economic crash of 2006. Since then, the struggle …

by Tom Higgins/ May 31, 2019/ Croydon, Data, Features, General Features, Hackney, Housing, Lewisham, News, Tower Hamlets/

Jimmy Mizen’s father shares his hopes for a safer community during an annual walk in his son’s honour

“After my son was killed, there was a determination in the family of two things: we were not going to …

by Deniza Primbet/ May 30, 2019/ Features, General Features, Lewisham/

Meet the woman campaigning for zero waste in Hackney

A Hackney mother of two has only emptied her bin bag once this year due to her zero-waste lifestyle. Bettina …

by Hardeep Channa/ May 28, 2019/ Features, Hackney, People/

From the South of France to Extinction Rebellion Tower Hamlets

Arthur Perez left Paris for London’s East End eight years ago. When he left he had no idea he would …

by Amanda Wahlqvist/ May 24, 2019/ Environment, Features, General Features, Local Hero, People, Tower Hamlets/

Meet the MEP candidate bringing animal rights to the conversation

Vanessa Hudson wastes no time in the final days of her campaign, hitting the streets of Bethnal Green to hand …

by Alisha Pilkington/ May 22, 2019/ Features, General Features, People, Tower Hamlets/

Exhibition traces history of anti-racist movements in Whitechapel and Brick Lane

Photographs showing anti- racist movements in Whitechapel and Brick Lane, are on show in Tower Hamlets. The exhibition – Blood …

by Ayesha Rahman/ May 22, 2019/ Arts Features, Tower Hamlets/

Bravescar: the Croydon film maker speaking out on body image

“Even though I call myself Bravescar, I still suffer insecurities and I don’t think I’d be normal if I didn’t. …

by Sahira Raja/ May 21, 2019/ Croydon, Features, People/

Hackney Half Marathon runner helped raise over £30,000 for one of the oldest hospices in the UK

A local teacher from Hackney contributed towards raising over £30,000 for St Joseph’s Hospice during yesterday’s Hackney Half Marathon despite …

by Deniza Primbet/ May 20, 2019/ Events, Hackney, Local News, People, Society, Sports/

Everything you need to know about the EU elections

The European parliament elections are almost here, with the parties in London range from pro-Brexiters to animal well-fare advocates. Tower …

by Alisha Pilkington/ May 19, 2019/ Croydon, Features, General Features, Hackney, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets/

Back to nature: how gardening can help combat climate change

There are a lot of things that people can do as individuals to help with climate change. One of the …

by Alisha Pilkington/ May 17, 2019/ Croydon, Features, General Features, Hackney, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets/

Crystal Palace 18/19 season review

Crystal Palace has survived yet another nervy season in the Premier League. Predicted to be competing in the mid-table, Roy …

by Tom Higgins/ May 16, 2019/ Croydon, Features, Sports/

Hackney’s best zero-waste shops and markets

Shops and markets that minimise the environmental impact of our consumer habits are popping out across London and especially in Hackney. This new plastic-free revolution is part of a growing eco-initiative trend in the …

by Sarah Antoun/ May 16, 2019/ Environment, Hackney, Reviews, Uncategorized/

Tips on how to survive Ramadan

It’s that time of the year when 124,400 Muslims living in Tower Hamlets join together and celebrate the holy month …

by Ayesha Rahman/ May 13, 2019/ Features, People, Society, Tower Hamlets/

Zero waste vs climate action: what’s the difference?

Confused about how to save the planet? Wondering whether to ditch the plastic or focus on helping to reduce London’s …

by Alisha Pilkington/ May 8, 2019/ Croydon, Features, General Features, Hackney, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets/