General Features Archive

A Christmas Carol: A Fairy Tale – a strange blend of panto and champagne feminism

“I am a woman and I have lived a life men made for me…I am a woman and I will …

by Georgina Gambetta/ December 21, 2019/ Arts, Features, General Features/

Homeless at Christmas: 14,947 children in temporary housing in local boroughs

In an examination of the poverty crises affecting people this Christmas, Celine Wadhera looks at how prevalent child homelessness is …

by Celine Wadhera/ December 21, 2019/ General Features, Housing/

Meet the Councillor: “The Corbynistas are not very bright”

As the dust of the General Election settles, the bins still need emptying and the schools still need running. Many …

by Barney Stone/ December 19, 2019/ Features, General Features, Politics/

The product of an East End postcode: abuse, crime, poverty….and finally, hope

Gary Hutton is a reformed criminal, born and raised in the East End of London, who now helps young people …

by Eleanor Magill/ December 19, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Meet the Councillors: “We’re facing a catastrophic future. It’s climate suicide”

As the dust of the General Election settles, the bins still need emptying and the schools still need running. Many …

by Celine Wadhera/ December 18, 2019/ Features, General Features, Lewisham/

Get bell soon: workshop demonstrates ancient craft to save historic foundry

Bell making is one of the oldest crafts in Britain, with a process that has essentially remained unchanged since the …

by Georgina Gambetta/ December 15, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Meet the Councillor: “Everywhere you look, our assets are under threat”

As the dust of the General Election settles, the bins still need emptying and the schools still need running. Many …

by Jordan Lane/ December 10, 2019/ Features, General Features/

The Street: A story of Hackney’s grit and glory

“You can’t live in Hoxton unless you’re absolutely wedged to buggery.” Joe Cooke The pie and mash in Joe Cooke’s …

by Sean Russell/ December 4, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Clothes swap shops aim to take fast fashion out of style

Fast fashion culture has made clothing insatiable, and despite cheap clothes having an undeniable appeal, the worldwide repercussions are extremely …

by Lois Borny/ November 20, 2019/ Features, General Features, Hackney/

HOUSING CRISIS: In the middle of hipster Hackney, the squalor behind an iPhone billboard

Behind the advert, looking at the reality of the UK's housing crisis in Dalston, Hackney.

by Sean Russell/ November 19, 2019/ Features, General Features/

First there was teenager Greta Thunberg. Now Hackney’s children are encouraged to take up the climate change cause

Teenage activist Greta Thunberg has inspired adults around the world to take action over climate change. Now, the Extinction Rebellion …

by Lois Borny/ November 14, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Lewisham mother fundraises to fulfil her disabled daughter’s dreams of becoming an athlete

A mother from Lewisham is raising money to help her disabled daughter fulfil her athletic dreams by providing her with …

by Grace Hoffman/ October 22, 2019/ Features, General Features, Lewisham, 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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

Outsourced student accommodation: are universities enabling unethical practices?

Universities are outsourcing their accommodation services to save time and money, but their students are paying the price. Sydney Diack …

by Sydney Diack/ April 27, 2019/ Education, Features, General Features, Housing, Lewisham, Local News/

My rental nightmare: My landlord disappeared

What happens when a tenant is unable to contact their landlord? Click here to read the other stories in or …

by Thames Menteth-Wheelwright/ April 26, 2019/ Features, General Features, Local News, Tower Hamlets/

Complaints rise as landlords shun new scheme to improve standards

Complaints from tenants living in multiple occupation houses in three Eastlondonlines boroughs have increased rapidly over the past seven years, …

by Thames Menteth-Wheelwright/ April 26, 2019/ Data, General Features, Housing, Lead Stories/

Seven steps to improve your sleep

Looking for simple ways to sleep better? Then you’re in the right place. In this video, Bertille Duthoit and Zoe …

by ELL Admin/ April 25, 2019/ General Features, Local News/

Rogue Landlords: How I solved the problems in my flat without getting evicted

ELL reporter Briony Pickford explains how she dealt with her Crap Landlord It’s less expensive. There aren’t any admin fees. …

by Briony Pickford/ April 25, 2019/ General Features, Housing/

Natural sleep experts share their secrets for the best night’s rest

From taking special herbs found at health food stores, to practicing breathing techniques in yoga, Zoe Ettinger and Bertille Duthoit …

by ELL Admin/ April 24, 2019/ General Features/

Slumped at your desk? Exhausted employees don’t work well

Sleep deprivation in the workplace: it cost the UK economy £40 billion in loss of productivity in 2016, and causes employees to …

by Zoe Ettinger/ April 24, 2019/ General Features, Lead Stories, Local News/

An insomniac’s guide to London

This interactive map will take you from 24 hour gyms in Lewisham to high end haircuts on Bond Street – …

by ELL Admin/ April 23, 2019/ General Features/

A tale of two insomniacs

Two Londoners explain how their sleep difficulties affect them and get advice from the sleep therapist, Tobby Warrener. A third …

by Bertille Duthoit/ April 22, 2019/ General Features/

QUIZ: How bad are your sleeping habits?

To kick off ELL’s Sleepless London series, Sam Hancock, Ilaria Grasso Macola, Zoe Ettinger and Bertille Duthoit have created a …

by ELL Admin/ April 22, 2019/ General Features/

Zero waste week: the best homemade products

We have searched the web for the best recipes to keep your lifestyle as zero waste as possible. Lesson learned …

by Nicolle Okoren/ April 17, 2019/ Arts Features, General Features/

Zero waste week: how to serve an eco-friendly fashion look

The main concern with fast fashion is the large number of clothing which ends up in landfills. In 2016 over …

by Gregory Robinson/ April 17, 2019/ General Features, Hackney/

The nasty, brutish and short life of a mascara tube

Alas, it is time for me to bid a kind farewell to my empty mascara tube and throw it away. …

by Nicolle Okoren/ April 17, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Is a zero waste lifestyle just for the rich?

If we want to improve our environment, we need to live a zero waste lifestyle – but is this an …

by Victoria Brush/ April 15, 2019/ Features, General Features, Lead Stories/