Month: November 2016

Anti-terror cops guard Lambeth and Wandsworth

The City of London Police has implemented anti-terror cops to guard the areas of Lambeth and Wandsworth in an attempt to combat against terrorism and criminals.

Operation Servator is a project which involves new tactics and cutting edge techniques for police officers in order to combat against terrorist acts and criminal behavior. It also increases the opportunity for the public interacting with the police.

The operation was launched on February 2014, but wasn’t officially implemented until today. The reason why Operation Servator has been implemented is to protect the city of London and to provide reassurance to the general public, while making would-be criminals and terrorists easy to detect by cops.

Posters for the operation will be displayed on shop windows with the slogan “Together, We Got It Covered” in order to explain the public about the operation and their tactics, while police officers may visit businesses and community centres during deployments to inform and reassure staff. Members of the public should report any crime immediately by calling 101 or 999 if an immediate response is required.

by mateushonrado

Light Up Your Christmas

There are a lot of aspects to the Christmas holiday that make it special, is it the presents? Yes. Is it the Turkey? Sure. But nothing puts you more in the Christmas mood than the Christmas lights. So here are some events around London where the Christmas lights will be guaranteed to light up your holidays.

Clapham Christmas Lights

These Clapham Christmas lights are surely an event to look forward to, with a parade, a live band, and fire breathers, it is literally going to be lit!

Where: Old Town Square – Clapham Common

When: December 3rd& 4th 3pm-7pm

Image result for clapham common christmas lights
Clapham Common

Feasts Winter Lights

Feasts winter lights event is set to be an excellent event to get the local community involved in. Taking place in St Luke’s Church, West Norwood, there is said to be a Christmas gift market happening inside the actual church where local artists and makers will be able to show case their creations. Perfect community spirit!

Where: St Luke’s Church, West Norwood

When:  12th December 4pm-8pm

Image result for west norwood christmas lights

 

by sharraewrites

Guide to Winter Festivals in London

Danny Brown keeps the music going as all those at the Citywide Christmas Tea Dance take to the floor for some dancing. Photo: William Maher WMCM Photography.

With Christmas right around the corner, Vox Radio have come up with the ultimate Christmas guide of events and fairs that are happening across the festive season, with all of them being right on your doorstep! This guide will have something for all ages.

Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park

winter-wonderland-in-hyde-park_winter-wonderland-in-hyde-park_ba576d96e57c4a620d3163123fbfd169

Winter Wonderland is back for its 10th Anniversary. It is filled with rides and attractions that all ages can enjoy, from rides to ice-skating, Hyde Park has it all!

It is free entry, however for tickets must be purchased for the main attractions.

When: Every day until the 17th Jan 2017 (except Christmas Day)

Where: Winter Wonderland

Hyde Park

W2

Time: 10am – 10pm every day!

Fee: FREE entry, however tickets must be purchases for main attractions

Southbank Centre Winter Festival

 

This festival has entertainment to cater to all ages from riverside markets with food, drinks and gifts to a retro roller disco following with a Vintage New Year’s Eve Party!

When: Friday 11th November – Sunday 8th January

Where: Southbank Centre

Belvedere Road

SE1 8XX

Time: All day until midnight

Fee: No entry fee as it is an open festival, but money needed for any purchases.

Christmas Tea Dance

christmas-tea-dance_4432-copy

This is a one day event with lots of things planned, such as carol singing, craft and group dance. This isan Age UK Warm and Welcome Event – mainly for the elderly, so ensure you let your elderly neighbours know about it.

When: Weds 9th Dec

Where: Portico Gallery

23a Knight’s Hill

West Norwood

Time: 2.30 – 5pm

Fee: FREE entry

Feast’s Winter Lights

flights

Festive lights are turned on at the beginning of the event. Which is then followed by a Christmas gift market and a selection of local makers and artisans selling artworks, home ware, jewelry and Christmas decorations.

When: Sat 12th Dec

Where: St Luke’s Church

Norwood High Street,

SE27 OHS

Time: 4-8pm

Fee: FREE Entry, however money needed for purchases.

Benson’s Children’s Fun Fair

windrush-square-funfair-2015-02

The Benson family will bring the festive cheer to Brixton with their traditional children’s Christmas fair.

When: Mon 14th Dec – Sun 3rd Jan

Where: Windrush Square

Brixton

SW2

Time: 1.30 – 3.30pm

Fee: FREE Entry, however rides have to be paid for.

by amirahwright

Police in Lambeth are appealing for information to help trace a woman who was injured in a road traffic collision.

 

vauxhall-bus-station-threat-3
Vauxhall Bus Station

Shortly before 23:45hrs on Friday, 25 November, police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to a report of a vehicle in collision with a pedestrian near to Vauxhall Bus Station.

Officers arrived on scene and were informed by LAS that the female pedestrian had left the location prior to a full assessment of her injuries.

The woman informed paramedics that she did not require assistance and she walked south from Vauxhall Bus Station towards Wandsworth Road.

Following the initial assessment of her injuries, officers are concerned that the woman may have sustained life-threatening or life-changing injuries.

A search of the area and local hospitals was conducted but the woman has not been found.

She is described as white and aged around 20 years. She was wearing a black dress and had blood on her face and head, with a scarf wrapped round her head to cover her injury.

No other persons were reported to be injured and no arrests have been made.

Police are urging the injured woman, or anyone who may be able to identify her, to call police in Lambeth on 101.

by Sheila Smith - Senior Editor

The Red, The Wilco and the Blues

 

R S Toner @rstoner808

Support act for the night, William Tyler, thanks the crowd before introducing his final number, with a partial apology for the current state of his nation but encourages everyone to “hold on to this stuff”. ‘Stuff’ on this occasion being music and the indescribable feeling a night of great American music can do to medicate the soul at a time when politically the world appears to be losing its collective mind.

Tyler prepares the crowd perfectly, both musically and theologically. His cowboy guitar instrumental set helps curate a suitable mood, but the sentiment in his sign off is exactly what Wilco are about.  Their set lets the capacity audience forget about Donald Trump and all the other scary elements of living in 2016 for a couple of hours and rejoice in some great, great music.

They touch on the first few songs from the newest Wilco long player ‘Schmilco’ at the beginning of the set (‘Normal American Kids’, ‘If I Ever Was A Child’ and ‘Cry All Day’) before tearing into some of their more established material with ‘I Am Trying to Break Your Heart’.  The crowd are immediately onside and bobbing along in tandem with the band.

Undoubtedly one of the many highlights of the whole night is 5 songs in: ‘Art of Almost’ takes the things to an altogether darker, eerier destination.  Nels Cline once again uses his guitar and chaos pad to strangle his solo into some acid-jazz Johnny Greenwood territory.  The band create a mood, (dare I say it) a groove that Primal Scream would be proud of, before climaxing with an almighty build and breakdown jam reminiscent of MC5 or The Stooges.  All around the Academy, feets are tapping and heads are nodding in severe approval.

Likewise, a couple of songs later, a stripped-down campfire rendition of ‘Misunderstood’ is something of a delightful curveball.  The vitriolic venom and anger of the usual outro refrain is replaced by acoustics, pedal steel and some fine banjo playing from Pat Sansone.

For ‘Via Chicago’ however, the crowd get what they want and Wilco tear the song apart with white noise during the second verse and somehow manage to stick it back together in time too on multiple occasions.  Nels Cline’s guitar playing is once again at the fore of the Wilco sound.  At moments some of the crowd might be speculating that he has gone too far but it is of course during ‘Impossible Germany’ when Cline’s avant-garde approach to playing really hits its full potential.  A solo that seems to go on forever, builds to a fantastical crescendo with the entire band breaking out at the end.

The band return for two encores, servicing the crowd with ‘Jesus Etc.’ (which as expected receives the biggest cheer of the night), before ending with ‘California Stars’ (from their 1998 collaboration with Billy Bragg ‘Mermaid Avenue’ putting the lyrics of Woody Guthrie to music) joined by William Tyler and finally signing off with a raucous version of ‘Shot in the Arm’.  The crowd are on their feet screaming back at Jeff Tweedy in unison: “…what you once were isn’t what you want to be anymore”. Tonight, Trump didn’t have a look in!

 

by @rstoner808