Monday 25 August 2008

Teenager stabbed in Walthamstow

Yet another teenger has been been murdered in London.

Yesterday morning, Charles Junior Hendricks (18) was found bleeding to death from a single stab wound near a bus garage in Walthamstow, east London, by police officers on a routine patrol.

He was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance but died shortly after his arrival.
It is not yet known who killed the young man or why.

He is the 24th teenager to be killed in the capital this year

Tuesday 19 August 2008

New Brick Lane book


Brick Lane is one of my favourite places in East London. I like the long winding lane’s crowd, from the curry touts to the city and bohemian visitors.

Now another book’s due for release on the place. I remember reading Monica Ali’s ‘Brick Lane’ and sighing ‘wow’ when I finished it.

East London born Rachel Lichtenstein's ‘On Brick Lane’ could be just as palatable, with an expected historical twist.

Her grandparents arrived in Brick Lane during the 1930s. The Jewish community remained there until the 1960s when a new wave of Asian Immigrants poured in.

“I was fascinated by the immigration experience which was common to all the communities which settled here,” she says, adding that, “The Bangladeshi community went through the same struggles as the Jewish community to stay in the area and fought hard to have a place.”

Look out for it on book shelves on August 28

Monday 11 August 2008

Where’s Christine hiding?


It’s hard to tell what local Olympic stars get up to in their spare time. I say this because I’ve not seen Christine Ohuruogu shopping in the mall in Stratford or on our streets. As you know, she’s back from Beijing having done Newham – and Britain, no doubt – proud by clinching the 400 metres gold medal.

She says she worked too hard to expect less of herself. Let’s hope she’s now relaxing and taking it easy, even if its out of sight.

Cowboy builders strike in Woodford

Just a few weeks ago I mentioned – warned – that there's a bogus charity worker doing the rounds in Ilford. She knocks on doors asking for money, claiming to present a charity.

Once the cash hits her hands, she’s gone. Now the Walthamstow Guardian reports that police in the Snaresbrook and Woodford area are cracking down on cold callers, or shall we say, door-to-door salesmen after a cowboy builder fleeced a pensioner of
a £1000.

As with the bogus charity worker, this ‘builder’ spoke convincingly. So much, in fact, that the pensioner allowed him to work in his home without asking for his address or surname, before he disappeared.

It’s hard to believe there’s still such trusting people out there. Or are they simply vulnerable?

Monday 4 August 2008

Bringing out the craziness in families


I’m yet to meet the perfect the family. Sure, I’ve come across some who appeared to be sqeeky clean, but were actually something else at a closer glance …

There appears to be one worth checking out though, and that’s on stage at Hackney Empire from 9 September 2008.

The Family is a Russian clown production about a disfunctional family; so get ready to giggle about serious stuff.

Sounds solid from the reviews I’ve seen.